Entangled
by leezh
Summary: Happened when Peter was still a High King, few years after TLTWTW. A Princess from a neighboring country arrived at Narnia to ask for help, and eventually, she found more than that in the form of the High King..
1. Princess From A Neighboring Country

**ENTANGLED**

**Summary: **A Princess from a neighboring country arrived at Narnia to ask for help, and eventually, she found more than that in the form of the High King.

**Rating: **I'd give it K+ to be safe. XD

**Pairing: **Peter/OC

**Disclaimer: **None of these are mine, just the words. Oh, and plot, I guess…

**Beta-readers: **Mira (**mis.mira**) (from chapter 2 onwards) and **Miss Pookamonga** (from chapter 18 onwards)

**Notes:** (revised: 01/04/06) The neighboring country used to be called 'Mirkwood', but because it has brought A LOT of confusion already, I took the suggestion that some offered. It's called 'Celestine' now, and for the older readers of the story… What do you think about it? Anyhow, I'm sorry the changes are too late.

And yeah, as usual, can we just pretend that the people of Celestine and the Tarkaans existed?

(revised: 13/01/06) Now to the updated chapter (which have been edited for your convenience by Katy). Thanks a bunch, Katy (**Domlando Blonaghan**)!

**Chapter One: Princess From a Neighboring Country**

There was an alarming atmosphere all around her. Even though she was dressed as beautifully as any princess should have been, and requested the High King Peter's presence in a gracious manner, the guard in the corridor couldn't help but stare at Her Royal Highness as she strode past them with such startlingly inelegant steps.

They said nothing though, for their orders were simply to guard the West Corridor where the palace's library and Royal Work Room laid. Under no circumstances were they to express their opinion about any royals, despite the fact that there was plenty to talk about since High King Peter and his siblings had begun their reign.

"Hail Her Royal Highness, Princess Andrantiel of Celestine," declared the guard as the princess arrived in front of the heavy door.

She nodded, waiting for the door to be opened. When it swung open before her, Andrantiel strode in with her guards following.

She soon knew they were in a library, one that was vast and ancient. There were loads of towering bookshelves, arranged in some neat rows, with the heavy scent of old, rusty books. She glanced to either side of the main entrance, trying to detect the end of it, but with no luck.

Huge dusty books which were full of forgotten knowledge were the kind of thing that got her excited. She would have loved to explore that chamber. Her immediate reaction was to begin immediately, but that her good sense returned, reminding her that princesses never do such thing before requesting the host's permission first.

Her mother's voice echoed in her mind to remind her of the etiquette of a princess.

Her Majesty, the Queen of Celestine, thought that she had failed to pass on any sense of royalty to her only daughter. Although Andrantiel had learned everything her mother had taught her by heart, and accepted her role as princess, she was not perfect, and always caused one or two surprises everywhere she went.

But this time had to be different. Her arrival in Narnia wasn't for her own pleasure. She had been sent to discuss an urgent matter, and that fact alone was enough for Andrantiel to restrict her actions.

She soon noticed someone was sitting on a high-backed reading chair facing away from her. Judging by how the guard instantly approached him or her, Andrantiel was fairly certain it was the High King himself.

She waited for the guard to finish speaking with the King before she began to speak.

"Hail High King Peter of Narnia," said her, curtseying low. "I, Princess Andrantiel-"

"There's no need, Princess," said the person behind the armchair. He stood up, and as he did so, Andrantiel lifted her gaze and almost gasped upon seeing who was before her.

He certainly wasn't human. He was standing on two feet, just like her, but instead of a clean face of a man, his head was covered in long black hair. His nose was not that of a human, but a buffalo. In fact, his whole face resembled a buffalo, so much so, that Andrantiel easily concluded that he was a Minotaur.

"I am not who you are looking for," added the Minotaur, walking slowly towards her. "My deepest apologies. His Royal Highness is nowhere to be found at the moment, and neither is King Edmund, his royal brother. Therefore, I, as his servant, insist that you be escorted around Cair Paravel in order to become more acquainted with it. Your Majesty is very welcome here. Please inform me if anything can be done for your comfort."

The Minotaur's words shocked Andrantiel, for she wasn't used to hear a buffalo speak. Even though she was aware of her neighboring country's Talking Beasts, and had met a few of them, the reality of their intelligence was always daunting. She had also never met a part-human before, and found it to be an intimidating first experience.

Andrantiel's surprise faded quickly though, as she realized the implications of what he had just said.

_The High King is nowhere to be found?_ thought she. _What kind of High King abandons his people without letting his whereabouts be known?_


	2. The High King of Narnia

**Quick author's note:**

Gee, thanks for the reviews! I love you all! Keep them coming, both good and bad, 'coz reading them is such a pleasure.. And yeah, sorry for the bad grammar… Will 'English is my second language' be the excuse of it? I guess not, and so I'm so thankful with the willingness of **mis.mira** to be my beta reader. From now on, I'm going to send all chapters through her first to avoid causing you much headache, haha…

Now to the story!

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**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Two: The High King of Narnia**

Princess Andrantiel was just shown her temporary bedroom by a talking beaver. It was a she-beaver, and she was so nice and talkative, causing Andrantiel's annoyance with the High King to be pushed to the back of her mind for the moment.

"I am so excited to meet you, Princess," said the beaver. "I don't usually show any guests around, because they aren't usually my orders (to be honest), but, why, it _is_ a Princess from Celestine, I said to myself. I have to meet her, as my great-great-grandmother once lived there, and she always told me about the Royal family that reigned there, who was so-"

But exactly how Andrantiel's family was according to the beaver, she never knew, because at that point, there was a knock at the door and the beaver stopped mid sentence and hurried to open the door instead.

It was a guard.

"His Royal Highness of Narnia, High King Peter, requests Princess Andrantiel's presence in the Throne Room immediately. Upon which he also requests my services as Her Royal Highness' escort."

"Very well," replied Andrantiel.

So the guard took her to the Throne Room, where the same process which had happened that afternoon, took place. But the difference was, this time, it was really the High King in presence along with his brother, King Edmund, Andrantiel recognized, finding some family resemblances between the two.

"My apologies, Princess," said Peter, turning slightly to face Andrantiel when she entered. "I was being discourteous with my disappearance this afternoon. It was not my intent to do so."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Your Highness," she replied, noting his virtue.

The High King was surprisingly young and good-looking, just like the rumors she had heard from her ladies-in-waiting. The boyish features told her that he could not be much older than she was. There was probably just two or three years of age between them, and yet he carried himself with a mature demeanor. Now looking at him, she could not doubt it was really the High King himself.

"For it was I, that disrupted your agenda by my sudden arrival," continued Andrantiel. "I received a missive from a reliable source just outside of my border. In the message, it was said that soon, there will be an attack upon my people by a large number of Tarkaans. My father's spies claim that it is merely a rumor, but as there are few in my country who know how to fight, I was sent here immediately, to ask for aid. We are hoping that the Tarkaans will take their time and not strike soon, giving us some time to ask of Your Highness' aid for the lasting of our nation."

Andrantiel watched Peter's face intently as she spoke, trying to see what the High King was thinking, but the King's expression was guarded and she could not discern his thoughts. It was Edmund who replied. "And Her Royal Highness asks for our aid, how?"

"An army to fight for the existence of my country, and, perhaps, Your Highnesses' help as well."

Still, Peter remained silent. Andrantiel knew she should not dare to hope too much, now that she found out the King was actually still young and, perhaps, inexperienced as a military figure. But her people depended on her to bring aid, and that's what she would do. No matter the cost.

She just needed to figure out how to persuade the High King, if he refused.

In Andrantiel's mind, she was already planning to take the High King as hostage if diplomacy was not successful, when suddenly Peter spoke.

"Are you aware that my army is recuperating our battle with the giants?"

"I am very much aware of that, Your Highness, I can assure you," replied Andrantiel, feeling slightly annoyed by the negative responses Peter was giving her, but she couldn't exactly blame him for caring about his people more than hers. "I would not come asking you for aid if it was not urgent. However, if you refuse, I am sure we can manage."

Andrantiel could see Edmund was waiting for the words from Peter too. He was trying to meet his brother's eyes but with no success.

"Very well then," Peter uttered finally. "Now if you could please follow me."


	3. Into the Heart of the Palace

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Three: Into the Heart of the Palace**

At first, Andrantiel thought that she was going to be sent home immediately when the two Kings led her through a few corridors, then a few halls, then another set of corridors. But noticing more flickering lamplight and less sunlight, she realized that they were getting closer and closer to the heart of the palace.

Andrantiel felt a sudden rush of excitement. It was only for a second though, as it was soon replaced by the thought that maybe the two Kings were up to no good. She had heard about how Narnia was a free land, governed by two Kings and two Queens that reigned well, but she could not deny that she had heard dark rumors claiming that there were evil spirits spread throughout the country.

Suddenly the princess became very much aware of the movement of the two Kings. Peter had finally led them to a room with heavy looking door. There were, surprisingly, no guards standing by, just the three of them. Peter pushed the door and it swung open without protest.

Andrantiel immediately saw a large wooden table in the middle of the room, covered with a map of Narnia and its surrounding countries. Glancing around, she assumed that it was the Strategy Room, as she could spot some pawns scattered in a box, and she felt the familiar intense atmosphere inside.

But what were the Kings doing? The room was empty save for their presence. She thought that all great warriors of Narnia should be there before the Kings, if they were indeed going to begin the strategy talks.

A thought struck her. Maybe the High King did not approve of his army going into battle in her aid. So why were they there?

Andrantiel turned, only to notice that she was alone with the High King, as Edmund was nowhere to be seen. She was wondering what was up with the royals' habit, vanishing from view all the time, when Peter, who was picking up another map from the shelf, noticed her questioning expression.

"Is there something that you wish to ask me?"

Andrantiel blushed because she didn't think that her expression could be so easily by the High King. She prided herself in being able to hide her expressions and the notion that Peter could interpret her thoughts was both disturbing and embarrassing

"I was merely...wondering where all your great warriors are, Your Highness."

It was right after she spoke those words that Andrantiel realized that she might have been too bold, and, perhaps, insulting.

"My apologies, Your Highness," she added hastily, remembering her weakness in not thinking before opening her mouth. "It wasn't my intent to-"

But Peter was grinning. The High King was smiling in a youthful kind of way, showing his real age. Andrantiel noticed it to be somewhat unusual, as she rarely saw such sincerity with any king she had encountered previously. Including her father.

"It is perfectly all right, Princess. I know it must be a bit of an odd thing for me to do, but I always arrive before my warriors if I can help it. And I do not fancy myself knowing nothing of the scenario, for I am a firm believer that one cannot lead if one knows less than those who he leads. So, before my warriors arrive with Edmund, I wish for you to explain to me; how is your land spread, from border to border?"

It was a strange thing indeed; Andrantiel had never heard of such a principle like Peter's. Moreover, she never dreamed that he would actually require her presence in the room and even taking her opinion of her land seriously (because not once had her father let her into his Strategy Room) instead of her guards' opinion, because, after all, any king would think they would know more of the wilds of Celestine than any princess. (The assumption being totally wrong, as Andrantiel had sneaked out of the palace many times to explore Celestine thoroughly.)

"So there is a narrow space between the mountains just outside your border?" Peter asked, after studying sketches of Celestine for a while. "How much to our advantage would you think it would be if Narnian archers are stationed there, to be able to shoot and take cover at the same time?"

As the High King sought her knowledge of her land, Edmund returned. It turned out he had disappeared to warn the Narnian warriors, for he came back leading various creatures. These impressive individuals exuded warring experience as they took their places at the table.

The High King introduced her to these heroes and heroines of Narnia and each of them bowed or curtsied to her in turn. After the introductions were over, they turned expectantly to the kings. Peter cleared his throat.

The battle discussions had begun.

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**Quick author's note:**

As always, thanks for the reviews! I love them! And thanks to **mis.mira** who helps me for beta-reading this story.


	4. The Queens of Narnia

**Quick author's note:**

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everybody! Now's gonna be a really good time to give me some Christmas presents: reviews! Hahaha... Just joking...

Anyway, I'm not joking when I wish you a Merry Christmas, 'coz I bring you not only one new chapter, but two! Well, here you go… Hope you'll like them!

P.S. Thanks Mira! And also to all of the reviewers, love ya!

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**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Four: The Queens of Narnia**

"Warm greetings to Her Royal Highness, Princess Andrantiel of Celestine," said Queen Susan.

Both Susan and Lucy were introduced to Andrantiel right before dinner, just outside their bedrooms. The royals exchanged greetings before walking down to the dining hall together.

"What do you think about Cair Paravel so far?" asked Lucy eagerly.

"It's really beautiful," Andrantiel replied. "Although I find it somewhat rather odd…"

"Why is that?" said Susan.

"Oh, I merely think, Your Highness-"

"Call me Susan, will you? All these talk with royal name calling is really tiring, don't you think?"

Andrantiel found both Susan and Lucy giggling, causing her to crack up too.

"It is, Your- (Susan glared at her jokingly) Ah, pardon me, Susan…"

"There you go," said Susan, smiling. "Now, what's the odd thing again?"

Andrantiel hesitated. She had been bold before, with Peter, encouraged by his acquiescence to her ideas on strategies. Only, using the same approach on the Queens may not be a good idea. However, they were friendly towards her, so Andrantiel thought that she might as well took her chances.

"Nothing," said her, deciding to put it bluntly. "I just think that it's a bit unusual for a palace to have two Kings at the same time…"

"Oh, that," replied Lucy. "Yes, but, you see, Peter is the High King, and Edmund – just King… Do you see the difference?"

Andrantiel frowned slightly upon the first name basis. Nevertheless, she thought, they would have reached the same conclusion akin to the one she had made just then.

Susan laughed at this. "Actually they are not completely different Lu," she said, turning to Andrantiel. "I know it's odd, Andrantiel – may I call you that? - but that's just the way it is. I deem you don't think Lucy and I are Queens by marriage?"

Andrantiel was surprised once again. "No, call me Andra; Andrantiel's a bit too long… Uh, you're not Queens- by marriage?"

"I can't believe you could even think that!" said Susan; she did not sound angry but amused. "No, Andra, can't you see that we're siblings?"

"Our brothers are still free to be taken," added Lucy, smirking, in which made Susan say warningly, "Lu!"

"Well, it _is_ true, right?" replied Lucy back. Susan and Andrantiel laughed, not realizing they had arrived at the dining hall.

Susan stopped laughing abruptly, and then so did Andrantiel. However, while Andrantiel stopped because of Susan, the Queen had just changed into a more dignified person almost automatically.

Andrantiel noticed that even Lucy tried to suppress her childlike behavior and was putting forward her best effort as a graceful queen.

In a corner of mind, Andrantiel tried to figure out why. The only people she could see were only Peter, Edmund, and his second-in-command centaur at the table talking intently.

It was only when the three girls had reached the table, that Andrantiel could hear what they were talking about. Battle strategy. Apparently, battle talks were among the topics that were permitted at the dining table.

But that didn't explain the sudden change, thought Andrantiel, taking her seat. As she ate her dinner that night, she noticed that the Queens formal towards everyone at the table, including to each other.

Peter must dislike informality, concluded Andrantiel, remembering her own father and every other King she had met who did the same. It was a common thing among royals, but she could not hide her disappointment with the High King.

She had thought that the he was different.

Or, she had hoped so.

There were only a few things she was certain about right now.

The first was that she was going to go home with aid. The second was that the High King was a bit unpredictable.


	5. The Challenge

**Quick author's note:**

The second chapter for today!

To **Astral**, too bad you didn't leave me a trace… Anyway, that plot actually slipped my mind and I've drawn out another one to work on… Hey, I'm thinking: why don't you write something out of it? I'd be really interested to read it… XD Thanks for the review!

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**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Five: The Challenge**

It was her third day at the Cair Paravel, and Andrantiel was becoming more and more anxious as the time passed. However, Peter assured her that the Tarkaans would need at least a week to reach Celestine whereas it would only take them a days worth of hard riding, so the best thing was to wait for Peter's East Region captain to return with all of his men.

She spent almost all of her second day with the Kings, listening to strategy after strategy offered by the many warriors. It seemed that the newer ideas always seemed to be better than their predecessors were. All the same, Peter decided to hold the final discussions only after all his captains had returned.

He also said that they should all sleep on it for a day or two, or he felt that his head would burst. Andrantiel actually frowned at this remark, but all his warriors seemed to notice nothing, and there was no change in their expressions towards their High King.

In normal circumstances, she would have had a thing or two to say about that, but with her disquiet, she could see that the High King was right. After several hours locked up in the room, her head hurt so much she could barely think.

Therefore, she was glad that her third day was spent with the Queens.

It turned out that the Queens liked to practice sword fighting. Watching Lucy, Andrantiel could see that her movement was a bit unstable, bet that it was just because the weight of the sword.

"Find your opponent's weakness, Lu!" shouted Susan, swinging her own sword to block Lucy's attack. "That's it, that's-"

Andrantiel laughed as Susan was defeated by a pretty, disarming move from Lucy just moment later.

"You are so much better than me," Susan complimented a grinning Lucy. Then, sitting beside Andrantiel, she added, "But all the same, I am not very good at sword play and she still has a lot to improve..."

"You are not really bad," replied Andrantiel. "I could see you were not giving her your best."

Susan laughed. "Well, spot on. But when I mean she is so much better than me, it's true. I needed four whole years of practice, while Peter has only allowed her to hold that sword for about a year now, and now you can see how familiar she has already become with the blade."

"The High King Peter knows about you practicing sword-fighting?"

All this time, she assumed that the Queens practiced it behind their brother's back, because she actually did, back in Celestine. Her parents, the King and Queen of Celestine did not like the idea of a princess wielding a sword or any other weapon.

"Well, he can't actually say no," said Susan, grinning. "Peter has a soft spot for Lucy, with her being our youngest sister…"

_The High King actually has a soft spot? _

The more time she spent at Cair Paravel, the more confused she became about the High King's principles. Her father would not even pretend to be willing to consider her request to practice her weapons skills. Instead, he would just brush her off. And they said that a father-daughter bond was stronger than any siblings' bond.

"Care to face me, Andra?" Susan said suddenly, turning to her.

"Err…" Andrantiel hesitated.

"Oh, come on," said Susan, pulling her hand. "I can tell you have some sword skills yourself and that you are not just an observer."

Andrantiel grinned. So, her secret was out? She rose to Susan's challenge.

It was an even match. Susan and Andrantiel both tried hard to disarm each other, with Lucy watching them from the edge.

Eventually she got bored by it, judging by the way she called, "Finish it already." to them with a yawn.

But that's not the reason they stopped. They stopped (finally) because of the next thing Lucy said.


	6. Peter Versus Andrantiel

**Quick author's note:**

I guess I picked the wrong chapter to leave you in a suspense... Sorry! I just got back from my holiday, and reading all those reviews you guys left-

Have I ever told all of you that I love you to bits and pieces? Hehe.. Thanks a whole lot for the reviews! Keep them coming.

And without further delay, here's the continuity of the last chapter!

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**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Six: Peter Versus Andrantiel**

"Peter!" Lucy shouted eagerly, causing Susan and Andrantiel to freeze, their swords hanging in the air for a moment.

The High King had just walked into the small hall they were in, holding an open book in his hands. He appeared totally unaware of their presence until his youngest sister ran towards him. To Andrantiel's amazement, Peter grinned to Lucy then lifted her up into the air.

She almost could not believe her ears as she heard Peter say, "Ow, you're getting heavier, Lu."

"We were just sparring against each other," Susan said. "And she's getting so much better."

"Oh, Peter, can I go to war with you now?" Lucy asked. "Please, can I go? Can I?"

"No, Lu," Peter responded. "How many times _more_ do I have to tell you, war is ugly when there's woman involved."

Peter smiled at Lucy who pouted hearing this. "And even if it wasn't, do you think that I would honestly let my loveliest sister (this made Lucy grin) face that kind of danger, eh?"

"I've told you, Lu. You'd better polish your archery skills if you want to help," Susan commented.

There were changes in Peter's expression then. He was getting serious.

"I'm afraid nothing will do, Su. You know how I feel at even the thought of any of you out there anywhere in the battlefield. My wish is for you to use your skills only when in desperate need of survival, and not to play with."

Susan rolled her eyes, indicating that she had heard this many times before turning to Andrantiel to give her a 'sometimes-he-can-be-such-an-annoying-brother' look. However, the Queen did not utter a word in protest.

Andrantiel could easily see why. Peter was speaking in a heavy tone of determination, and with a face that clarified that the decision was unchangeable.

His expression changed, though, when the High King realized Andrantiel's presence, as he said (not looking surprised that the princess was holding a sword), "Princess", he bowed slightly, "My ambassadors from Celestine told me that you had a peculiar hobby.

"Sword-fighting?" he asked, letting Lucy down. He handed his book to her. "May I have the honor to challenge Your Highness?"

Actually, there was one other prince who had once said something along those lines to her, and he ended with a black eye. Of course, she had explained that it was only an accident and that her hand had slipped; while the truth was that she had gotten sick of the smirk he had on his face during their duel.

Watching the High King calmly pick the sword he would use, Andrantiel was surprised to see what was written on his face was curiosity, not the usual arrogance she had grown accustomed to.

If it were mockery, she would have no choice but to repeat the black eye incident. Even if it meant hitting the High King of Narnia.

Peter smiled slightly to Andrantiel as he took his place. Their swords were crossed, and then-

Silence.

Both of them were waiting for the other to strike first. Peter was not showing any emotion, while Andrantiel was sweating slightly. She had never been good with patience, and the tense atmosphere did not help her either.

_Screw it._

She swung first, attacking suddenly, and was blocked easily by Peter. That did not stop her though; she was keeping the High King busy while her mind was trying to find a weakness she could exploit.

It was a challenging match, at least for Andrantiel. Even though Peter was holding back, (she could _really_ tell) as none of her attacks was good enough to disarm him, he did not let his guard down nevertheless. It was as if he was merely trying to see how much she could do, and that was all right, considering the fact that there was a point where Andrantiel was almost sure that Peter nearly lost his balance, when she attacked him without pause for breath. However, to her disappointment, he soon regained his composure and the duel went on.

It was, again, Lucy who stopped them. "Finish it, Peter! Do you two want to face each other forever?"

Susan warned her with another "Lu!", but Peter merely stopped with a smile on his face.

"It was not a polite thing to say, Lu," he said to Lucy. Then, turning to Andrantiel, he continued, "It has been a pleasure, Princess".

Peter put his sword back. "Now, if you would excuse me."

He had taken a few steps away when Lucy called out to him, her hand on her hip. "Peter, wait. It has been long since you saw me sparring with Susan."

Peter grinned upon this then turned back to find a place to watch his two sisters facing each other again. Andrantiel finally believed the High King to have a soft spot on Lucy.

At first it was an intense match, mostly Lucy was attacking almost without a pause at Susan as the older Queen was falling into defense position once again. After a while though, Susan got a chance and she managed to return Lucy's attack and playfully tickled her at the same time.

Their swords were soon left behind, the sword-fighting was changed into some chasing and tickling. Andrantiel, who found herself a place to sit and watched the Queens too, laughed upon the scene.

She glanced to look at Peter. He was smiling at his sisters too as he picked up his book to resume his reading. The pages of the book were flipped, and not long after, he was drowned in the pages.

Sitting there, Andrantiel sensed that Peter probably was the right person to ask for help. He may not have proved his excellence in battles (like she had heard from her ladies-in-waiting) yet, but he had showed his concern for her people, and somehow-

She felt perfectly safe.


	7. Decisions

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Seven: Decisions**

The day after, Andrantiel woke up with the feeling of a buzzing atmosphere all around her. It turned out that, finally, all Peter's captains had returned and that he had summoned them to the Strategy Room very early in the morning.

At first, she was a bit annoyed to be left behind, but when she arrived at the Strategy Room, Peter explained that he felt that it was quite impolite to awaken a princess when he was merely gathering some feedback from his captains. She soon forgave him, as his words were true.

Moreover, they even had not begun the discussion yet.

"It is up to you now, Your Highness," the Minotaur said, closing the stream of feedback from the captains not long after Andrantiel arrived. "What is your decision?"

Andrantiel could see that Peter was thinking hard. He was frowning, with eyes fixed to a particular spot on the map for quite a long time.

"We will be leaving tomorrow, at dawn," Peter said finally, turning to look at Andrantiel.

The Princess gave him a nod of approval absent-mindedly, for she was pondering which words she should use. She wanted to ask Peter about the possibility of her joining the battle alongside him. She knew she was brave enough, and because he was open to her opinion on the battle discussion, well, perhaps he would say yes, would he not?

It was when she realized his stare.

Andrantiel looked up, seeing Peter staring back at her instead of turning right away to the council. It was as if he knew she wanted to say something and he was waiting for it.

Andrantiel smiled. "I'm merely wondering, Your Highness," said the princess, feeling how she had almost gotten used to this. "Whether I have the honor to ride with you tonight."

Peter smiled back at her. "I believe you heard what I said to my sisters, Princess."

"But-"

Andrantiel paused mid-sentence. She was interrupted by the knock on the door.

And it was distracting, really.

Apparently, the warriors heard it too. One of them, a faun who was standing the closest to the door, broke away from the discussion. He opened the door then slipped out to meet whoever it was.

"But," Andrantiel resumed her sentence. "I want to fight too."

She wanted him to see, to understand, but before he had the time to reply-

"Your Highnesses?"

Both of them turned. It was the faun, and he was holding a roll of parchment in his hands.

"A letter for Princess Andrantiel," said the faun, giving Andrantiel the parchment in which she received in curiosity.

"Thank you," said she, hoping that it did not bear bad news. She gave Peter a look then said, untying the ribbon, "Excuse me."

"Certainly," Peter replied.

Andrantiel unrolled it, her heart beat quickening. Andrantiel read her mother's writing as quickly as she could, and-

No, it was not bad news; her mother informed her that Mirkwood was still at peace at that moment. However, what was written afterwards carried a heavy weight that made her feel sick of all a sudden.

She had totally forgotten about the one thing that her parents stressed she must do. It was not something she looked forward to, because truth to be told, it was something she really did not want to remember.

Ever.

Nevertheless, there it was in writing, reminding her at that very moment.

She knew she had to ask Peter for one more favor.

"What is it, Princess?"

Andrantiel looked up. Peter was staring at her; apparently, he had seen the changes of expression on her face.

She hesitated for a while. She could not believe that she had been thrown off balance by mere a piece of paper. Nevertheless, her choice was either her people or the Tarkaan Lords, and for this, she had no slightest doubt of who was more important to her.

Even though it meant that she was about to ask the High King of Narnia for a favor in which she knew he would despise.

"The Majesties of Mirkwood wish for you to slay all of the Tarkaan Lords right on the spot."

Peter clearly did not expect any of it.

"Pardon me?" He was eyeing her with something bordering on revulsion. "Do you have any solid reason for this?"

Again, Andrantiel hesitated.

What she had asked of the High King was a very serious thing indeed, and it was dreadfully unfair for him not to be given a good explanation.

But-

She just could not give what he wanted to hear.

_We just do not trust any outsider completely._

"The Tisroc will not rest until he has conquered us," finally Andrantiel said, quickly as she was trying to be steady. "And we just cannot risk our people to live in fear for the rest of their lives."

She was avoiding Peter's eyes as she said this, particularly because she knew that he was staring right at her. His silence made the knot in her stomach tighten, and she thought that if she had to face his stare at the same time-

She might make a mistake she would regret worse than what she was doing at that moment.

"Then let me do it," Andrantiel said, surprising herself. "Let me ride-"

"Please, Princess," Peter cut in, clearly in a tone that ended the conversation.

Andrantiel was not going to stop there, but then she caught the flash across his eyes and his voice sounded odd at that instant.

"Or is there something else you haven't informed about?"

Andrantiel did not know what hit her harder: the tone of Peter's voice, or whether or not she would be able look him in the eyes ever again.

"Your Highness?"

It was the same faun who had given Andrantiel her letter. Behind him, the council stood with curiosity written all over their faces, and though they did not say anything, Andrantiel knew that they were worried about her conversation with the High King, which did not seem to be going well.

Peter snapped out of his silence then addressed the council, making Andrantiel's heart beat faster when he opened his mouth. "We will stick to the plan we've all agreed on…"

Peter said nothing to her besides pressed formality for the rest of the day, although Andrantiel hoped that he would, because being there in the same room with him but yet feeling so distant-

The guilt finally struck her hard.

_He deserves to know the truth._

_--- _

**Quick author's note:**

I think from this time around I'm going to put all the author's note at the bottom of the chapter so you won't be disturbed...

First of all, "Thank You!" for Mira (**mis.mira**) to be my beta reader. She's the one who has to face my terrible grammar mistakes anytime, so I don't think I can't thank her enough... Good luck with your fic too!

About this chapter... Hhh... It was very hard to be written. I stuck a couple of times, but I hope the result is not that bad... Gah... Just flame me if it is...

Anyway, thanks for the time you've all taken to drop me a review! I still love them by the way, hehehe... Both good and bad, I don't mind. Good reviews keep me going, bad ones make me try better, so-

Drop a line, haha...

Oh, and I just want to tell you, the first chapter has been edited(!) by Katy (**Domlando Blonaghan**). So if you want to re-read it, please do so.. I can tell that it's better now... Hehe.. Well, here I thank you again, Katy!

Hope to see all of you again next time!


	8. The Chains of Recollection

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Eight: Chains of Recollection**

The series of scenes that happened few days ago felt like a dream to Andrantiel.

She remembered witnessing Peter and Edmund, both already dressed in their chain mail and ready to march, bidding their farewells to their sisters. She also remembered watching Susan hugging Peter; the elder Queen was saying things like "Be careful." and "Stay safe.", while beside her, Lucy was not letting her grasp on Edmund's clothes weaken.

She remembered standing close to them; so close that she could feel the anxiety of the four siblings hanging in the air. So close that she could recite almost every detail of what happened at that time.

So close, but not close enough to feel like she belonged.

It was true that Susan dragged her to the Great Hall, as if her presence was required. It was also true that Lucy's face brightened upon seeing her enter the Great Hall with the elder Queen, as if her presence _really _was necessary. And she almost felt as if it were true, when Edmund approached her right after he bid farewell to his sisters (and to Andrantiel's relief, there were no changes in his expression or manner towards her, which meant that Peter had not yet said anything to him), smiling as he said, "Wait for our joyous news, Princess Andra."

Nevertheless, Andrantiel knew that her presence was not welcome for the departure of the two male siblings of the Pevensie family.

At least for one of them.

Peter had not said anything more than what was required by protocol to her, even though they were only separated by a short distance. His farewell to her was brief, and although Andrantiel wanted to say so many things to the High King, she remembered to keep them inside, particularly because she realized that there was no use trying to defend herself. It was her own fault, as she had set the impression that she was a cold, heartless, and perhaps even bloodthirsty sovereign.

She was used to being misunderstood all the time that she almost felt like she had stopped caring about it.

However, as she stared at the blue water of the Great Eastern Ocean from the balcony of her room, her mind could not stop spinning, countless thoughts forming in her mind. Thoughts that, somehow, always returned to the same image.

The look on Peter's face.

_Rustling_.

Andrantiel started. She had forgotten that she was not alone.

Susan was also there. Turning around, Andrantiel saw that she was lying on the bed, a book open in front of her. The Queen was supposedly reading, but Andrantiel could see that Susan's gaze was focused about three inches away from the book.

Moreover, Andrantiel should just be giving herself some fresh air before the chain of recollections drowned her.

Andrantiel turned to sit on the edge of her bed. She was wondering whether Susan noticed that her mind had broken loose when she saw the unnatural look on the Queen's face.

It really was not a difficult task for Andrantiel to guess what Susan was thinking.

"You're worried about your brothers, aren't you?"

Although Andrantiel was not sure whether Susan heard had her or not, it turned out that she did. The Queen let out a nervous laugh. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I'm not."

What she said made Andrantiel felt slightly uneasy, but she did not stop there.

"But I trust them."

Andra looked at the gentle queen with a slightly disbelieving look on her face.

"Everything will be alright, Andra."

Andrantiel didn't quite know, maybe it was the way Susan said it (her voice was reassuring) or in the way the Queen looked at Andrantiel (steady with a sense of confidence), but-

She just realized that one way or another, she found herself believing Susan.

_Everything will be alright._

"Susan!"

Both Andrantiel and Susan nearly jumped. It was Lucy.

The younger Queen had rushed into the room without even knocking, her hair was all messed up but neither of them cared. The two older girls did not pay a slightest bit of attention that, because the only important thing at that time was-

The roll of parchment in Lucy's hand.

"Laufer just gave me this," Lucy said, panting. Obviously, she had just run all the way and was out of breath. "He said it's from Peter."

"Did he say anything else?" Susan asked urgently, grabbing the piece of parchment from her and opening it frantically.

However, Lucy had no time to answer, as Susan had already proceeded to read it to herself, leaving Andrantiel to ponder the manner of the message.

The Queen's face was unreadable.

---

**Quick author's note:**

There you go, a cliffhanger, hehehe... But not to worry, the next chapter will be up in a few days, I hope. I'm trying to finish it now...

Okay, what I originally want to say is:

Thanks to all of you who took the time to review! And, huge hugs from me for those who's been willing to come back: you guys don't know how much it means for me!

And, of course, for Mira, it's a bunch of thanks as always! )


	9. The News

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Nine: The News**

"Victory!" exclaimed Susan, and the knot in Andrantiel's stomach loosened in an instant.

The Queen's face started to glow, reflecting the sudden uplift in the atmosphere of the room. Andrantiel and Lucy beamed at each other as Susan continued reading the letter.

"Peter writes that your entire family is alright," Susan said as her eyes scanned the parchment rapidly. She skipped parts of it, reading aloud only the important things for both Lucy and Andrantiel to hear.

"There's nothing to worry about… everything is under control… And nothing unexpected has happened, though they have obtained some lovely bruises - uh oh-"

"Are Peter and Edmund hurt?" Lucy exclaimed, worriedly. "Su, what else did he say?"

However, Susan was not listening to her younger sister. Her eyes were running frantically over the rest of the letter, but shortly after, the frown on her face disappeared.

"Just a few scratches," explained Susan, actually grinning as if she had read something amusing. "And Ed actually thinks that his is quite fascinating. Listen to this;_ He says it resembles an arrow, though I fail to recognize it. Nevertheless, he insists_… My, they even have the nerve to not coming back immediately but are going to be staying at Celestine. for one night!"

Lucy gave out a shriek ("How could Peter do that? I wanted to go too."). She tiptoed to Susan's right, trying to read the letter for herself while Andrantiel was a bit taken aback by the last sentence Susan said.

_They were staying at Celestine_ _for one night? _

Andrantiel could not remember the last time she had heard such a phrase.

It was true that Celestine maintained friendly relations with many countries: whenever foreign ambassadors were sent to visit them, they would send an envoy back. As for Archenland, their tendency to send representatives was more frequent than it was proper, for their Prince was suspected to be very fond of Celestine. (or at least of Liandra, Andrantiel's sister), but they were always welcomed well by her parents too.

Nevertheless, not every royal could expect the honor of staying a night in Celestine.

The reason was that her parents were always very cautious to limit their friendliness, as they were cautious about who crossed Celestine's borders; what purpose the ambassadors had, and of course, which royals could be trusted to stay a while in Celestine.

Andrantiel shook her head unconsciously. Sometimes it was hard for her to understand her own parents. They had strictly forbade her to tell anybody the real reason why they sent her, and if they did not trust the Kings of Narnia before-

_What did they think they were doing now? _

The battle had ended, and there was no reason for the Kings to stay. Generally her parents treated royals with graciousness and cordiality, but never to the extent of inviting them to stay back in Celestine.

However, of course, Andrantiel reasoned, perhaps they finally opened up to the possibility of a true alliance between Celestine and Narnia. Celestine was a small country; they did not have the great numbers required to win a battle. Though they had never been caught up in one for a very long time, they unquestionably needed help when it did happen, like this particular time.

Perhaps it was the arrival of Peter's army that had achieved their trust.

"Su, look at this. ' _The Majesties of Celestine__wish for Princess Andrantiel to return to them at once'_? That doesn't mean Andra has to go, does it?"

Lucy's voice snapped Andrantiel out of her thoughts. She turned to see Susan and Lucy still reading their brother's letter.

"I'm afraid that is what it means," Susan answered Lucy before speaking to Andrantiel. She was not aware that the Princess had not been listening to her a moment before. "I guess you'd better pack now, Andra."

"Andra, is there not a chance for you to stay a bit longer?" Lucy said. "I would hate to part with you."

Actually, Andrantiel was thinking the same thing. She had really enjoyed her days in Narnia, and the thought of leaving left her feeling a little bit blue. But-

In only a few seconds, she found herself wondering what Liandra was doing during the royals' visit to Celestine, (probably nattering nonstop and annoying lots of Narnians in the process), what was her parents' reaction was towards Peter and Edmund, and-

She realized that there was no place like home and she missed them all greatly, even her parents.

"So do I," replied Andrantiel to Lucy. She took the younger Queen's hand and pulled her to sit with her on the edge of the bed. "But I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

Lucy's face brightened up hearing it. "You'll promise?"

"I promise."

Lucy looked around Andrantiel's room. "Would you like me to help you packing?"

Andrantiel laughed. "I'd like that."

And so Lucy went into action. In reality, she did not help much as Andrantiel brought the least she could to Narnia and all her things were packed before the hour had passed.

The most Lucy did was play to with the rest of Andrantiel's clothes. Many were prepared for her by the royal seamstresses few days ago, consisting of everything Andrantiel could imagine of a princesses wardrobe: beautiful dresses in various colors, with hats to match, in various shapes and sizes, among other things.

Andrantiel laughed upon seeing Lucy taking one of the bonnets and pretending that it was a handbag. She glanced to at Susan, but the Queen was absorbed in reading the rest of Peter's letter.

Andrantiel messed Lucy's hair up, remembering Liandra as she did so, as her sister was about the same age as the younger Queen. Even Andrantiel began to think that Liandra's and Lucy's laugh was quite similar.

Or perhaps it was only because she missed her sister so much.

"Lu!" Susan exclaimed out of the blue, waving Peter's letter. "Did Laufer tell you that General Hermeus would arrive shortly after him? Peter says so! Tidy up your hair, quick!"

If Lucy was ignoring Susan before, she was paying full attention now. She froze and looked at Susan in horror.

"He will?" breathed Lucy, trying to flatten her hair instantly. "I'm supposed to be in my room!"

"Then get back there!" Susan said, walking towards the door to open it.

Andrantiel stared at Susan in puzzlement as the Queen pulled her along. "We'd better look like we have been taking a stroll. Come on!"

The next thing Andrantiel knew, she was already out in the corridor. Beside her, the Queens were busy tidying themselves up as they walked hurriedly, exchanging glances. Andrantiel did the same thing, though it was done unconsciously.

They were just going to turn left to reach the corridor where Lucy's room was located when-

_Thump, thump, thump._

The sound of those heavy footsteps was all too familiar. Andrantiel would bet on anything that it was the General.

And it was. He was just turning the corner from the other side.

Andrantiel turned to look at what the Queens would do, but Susan had already stepped forward.

"General!" Susan said, stopping the Centaur in his tracks.

He looked surprised to see his Queens standing there with Andrantiel, but he said nothing.

"Your Highnesses," instead he said, bowing to the three of them. "Your Highnesses' royal brother Peter the High King particularly requested me to give you the news that his arrival, along with King Edmund, will be delayed."

Andrantiel noticed Susan lifted her head a little bit higher as she replied in a very different tone than the one she had used earlier, "Very well. Is there anything else?"

Maybe it was only Andrantiel's imagination, but there was an aberrant look on Hermeus' face as he spoke, "He also wished for me to notify Princess Andrantiel of her return to Celestine."

But the look lingered only for a fraction of second, so Andrantiel decided not to think about it. Hermeus soon excused himself, and the Queens were back to their old selves again.

"Is he the reason of your stiffness all the time?" Andrantiel could not help but to ask.

Susan laughed. "Yes. He is the counsel to Narnian royals and he expects us to behave like decent ones. For him, there's no giggling, no playing around in public, no fun for the royals…"

_Sounds like everybody back home_, Andrantiel thought.

"I like him, actually," Lucy commented. "He's quite fond of Peter. But like Su said, he's boring."

"Probably never met royals like us," added Susan, grinning.

The three of them laughed, and it was then Andrantiel understood Hermeus' strange look when something else caught her eye.

"Lucy," the Princess said, holding back laughter. "Your left hosiery is loose."

---

**Quick author's note:**

Not much of a surprise, eh? There's not much going on in this chapter, though things will pick up later on, hehe… Oh yeah, it's not important, but 'Laufer' means 'runner'. Now if you can guess the real identity of him… XD

As always, I love you all for reviewing! A bunch of thanks for each one of you... Reviews is the best thing you can give a writer, so what are you waiting for? XD


	10. The Journey Home

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Ten: The Journey Home **

Andrantiel slowed her horse down to walk along the side of the Great River.

She had been riding to Celestine, from Cair Paravel for several hours now, traveling in silence even though her guards were close behind her, for she was reminiscing about her farewell with the Queens: they had hugged, reciting promises to see each other soon, and had waved at her up until she disappeared from their view.

Andrantiel looked around; she could still feel the warmth of the Queens. Now that the weight of the battle was off from her shoulder, finally, for the first time, the Princess became conscious of Narnia's beauty.

Cair Paravel was behind her then, shrinking into just a speck on the horizon. Ahead of Andrantiel were vast lands that were alive and vivid, the grass could not be greener, and the sky a brighter blue. She was enveloped by a kind of serene feeling; even the sound of the streaming water of the Great River sounded like the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

A gentle wind tugged at her hair, and as it did so, Andrantiel thought about how she would have loved to have spent a good deal more of her time here, in the Land of the Talking Beasts.

"Your Highness."

One of her guards had just spoken, and Andrantiel looked up. He was pointing west, towards a cluster of moving creatures a little way from where they were. Andrantiel squinted, trying to see, and as she did so-

She noticed the familiar movement of some of those in the group. No, they weren't horses, the motion was quite different and-

The realization came swiftly to Andrantiel. They were centaurs.

Apparently, Peter and Edmund had kept their promise to their sisters; they had only stayed in Celestine for only a night.

Andrantiel frowned. She was not sure that she was looking forward to meeting Peter so soon, but their meeting was unavoidable and what other choice did she actually have?

After a while, her riding party reached the part of the Great River that was shaped like a horseshoe. A number of familiar faces started to emerge; there were a few of the warriors she had seen back at the Strategy Room. There were a number of Centaurs as well, standing together in conversation, taller than anyone else (except maybe some of the bears).

Andrantiel dismounted her horse, and then continued her way on foot until she reached the kings' camp. Some beavers who were hurrying back and forth carrying things in their hands, greeted her. She returned their salutations as she tried to make her way towards the kings' tents. She passed countless creatures: fauns, cheetahs, mice, and even foxes. All of them offered to announce her to their King, but she politely declined.

Andrantiel was not sure she was ready to face a certain King just yet.

"Princess Andra?"

She turned, warily. However, it was only Edmund, and she exhaled in relief.

The younger King detached himself from a group of knights Andrantiel recognized as captains and walked towards her. He was not wearing his chain mail but was in a tunic, and Andrantiel could see bandages peeking out of from his right sleeve.

_That is where the arrow-shaped scar is then_, thought Andrantiel, and could not help smiling in silence.

"I thought we would meet you here," Edmund said, smiling.

"Why are you stopping here, Your Highness?" asked Andrantiel.

"Well, we just decided to go at a less hurried speed," he replied. "General Hermeus has been informed of our whereabouts, so I thought that we could afford to pace ourselves a bit slower. We can certainly reach Cair Paravel before nightfall."

"Indeed," Andrantiel said, realizing that she had forgotten to say something to him before he had left for the battle, days ago. "And please accept my apology; it was very impolite for me to rush you and your men into battle like I did. Let me express my deepest gratitude towards your gracious help in the clash."

Edmund laughed. "It is well received."

Andrantiel was sure that there was more that the King wanted to say, but at that moment one of his captains called him. The captain said a few things in a low voice to Edmund, and he listened intently.

Andrantiel waited until they had finished.

"Pardon me," said Edmund to Andrantiel shortly after. "I'm afraid that I have to excuse myself. Nevertheless, I assume you are hoping to meet my brother? He is behind the red tent, last time I checked. Now if you'd excuse me."

Then without another word, the King smiled at her and turned back to his captains.

Andrantiel hesitated. She stood there for a while, oblivious to the hustle and bustle happening all around her. Then, her eyes caught sight of the tent Edmund had just described to her and without warning; her feet propelled her towards it.

Andrantiel realized that this was how she got into trouble every time; there was no cooperation between her mind and body. In short, she did things without worrying about the consequences, until it was too late.

Andrantiel walked around the tent to reach its back, hearing distant sounds of metal objects striking each other. She found a wide clearing there, where the sounds were magnified, making the clangs seem louder to the Princess.

It was not long before Andrantiel could make out the familiar figure of the High King in the middle of the field. He too had also changed into his tunic, and was locked in combat with a noble-looking man, the sharp, sweeping, strokes of their swords flashing in the air.

Nevertheless, she did not have to stand there for long. The knight noticed her shortly after and he stopped sparring with the High King to bow to her. At that, Peter finally turned and lowered his sword.

And to Andrantiel's amazement, the High King smiled.

"Princess," he said.

"Your Highness," replied Andrantiel. "I hope that I'm not interrupting you."

"No, of course you're not," said Peter, nodding to the knight. "Are you going home?"

"Indeed, Your Highness," replied Andrantiel, watching the knight slip away. She was unsure how to react. The tone Peter used was casual. "But I just cannot let myself be so ungrateful as to not thank Your Highness for all the help you have given us."

Again, Peter smiled – or rather, grinned and he laughed softly. "You know what, Princess?" Peter sheathed his sword. "Call me Peter."

"But-"

"Really, I do insist." He grinned as he added, "Unless you have another name for me…"

Andrantiel got herself more confused. "No, I have none, uh…"

Peter had some fun watching her stumble a bit before he repeated, "Peter."

"Yes." Andrantiel blushed as she reiterated the name. It was as if the name was an embarrassing word to say aloud, not because it was so, but rather for the reason that, if Andrantiel would ever confess it, saying Peter's name gave her a funny feeling.

However, it was not as perplexing as the sudden nature of the High King. Peter sensed her uneasiness, seeming to be able to read her mind.

"I admit, I have to offer you my deepest apologies," he said. "I was too quick to judge you. Your parents, the Majesties of Celestine, have told me the truth of your predicament, and I regret the way I have acted towards you."

Andrantiel almost could not believe him.

"I understand that you did not trust me, but I assure you, Princess, if only you had told me, things would have turned out differently between us," continued Peter. "I hold myself against violence, but even so, I too oppose forced marriages as much as the disgrace of a nation."

Peter's last sentence made Andrantiel froze.

_What?_

_--- _

**Quick author's note:**

**MaskedSoldier**! You're back! Ahh... I thought I'd bored you out on the later chapters or so, hehehe... Thanks for the instant review!

And, of course, to each of you who review (well, who read and enjoy this story also included), thanks for making all of this worthwhile, guys! Love you all. And I mean it. XD

I'll try to put up the next chapter as soon as possible, though I'm not sure when… Hate the pile of school work, urgh… Well then, hope to see you later!


	11. The Land of Celestine

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Eleven: The Land of Celestine**

Andrantiel had to restrain herself from spitting the words out. "Forced-marriage?"

_What did my parents tell him? _

"Please excuse me for the severity of my words," said Peter. "But that is the way I see things like forced-marriages and slavery."

Andrantiel said nothing, but her flabbergasted expression must have been apparent, because a moment later Andrantiel found herself listening to more explanations from the High King. This could only mean that Peter had caught some of her incomprehension.

"I can understand why you opted not to tell me the truth and it is, unsurprisingly, something that is not new to me. Therefore I am hoping to convince you that we are on the same page and I give you my word, Princess; though I may be a young king, never would I imagine acquiring love over war."

Peter was smiling as he said that, but Andrantiel was too occupied to take any notice. There was a flood of thoughts in her mind; each one demanding more of her attention than the other, and it made her wonder subconsciously how she managed to blurt out, "I cannot possibly imagine what the right words to say are." to Peter.

But the fact that her parents had told Peter that the real reason they went to war was because the Tisroc (or whoever Peter had mentioned) wanted her love by force and that if she didn't comply to his wishes, they were going to-

To wage a war over her?

_Now who did they think they were kidding? _

"Well, I should not hold you up for any longer," said Peter, jolting Andrantiel back to reality, starting to walk back to the camp. "May Aslan guide you home safely, Princess."

"Thank you, Your Highness," replied Andrantiel absent-mindedly; completely forgetting what he had told her a few minutes ago. She followed the King slowly.

"It's Peter, remember?"

However, the Princess was not really listening.

Her mind was once again diverted, filled with the things that Peter said and it made her pay not even the slightest attention to what was happening around her. She was unaware of her passing through the Lantern Waste, unaware that she had traveled far into the West of Narnia and she was unaware of the fact that she had gotten much closer to home, as her mind strayed further away from it.

Andrantiel knew that she was supposed to view it all as a good thing. After all, Peter was once again warming up to her (and mostly importantly, had stopped staring at her with _that_ look) and no one felt slighted: neither him nor her family. Nonetheless, Andrantiel knew, even though that she hated to admit it, that her family could really come to rely on the High King of Narnia now that as he had proved himself-

Yet, they kept lying on him.

Andrantiel was trying to figure out whether anything would make any sense when her ears caught a familiar melody, an old folk song, played on a woodwind instrument, maybe a flute, in the air. Its melody was cheerful and stimulating, and as Andrantiel became aware of a familiar group of trees; where the border between Narnia and Celestine was situated, she knew that she had finally reached home.

It was hard for Andrantiel to determine which one she liked better: Narnia or Celestine. True, Celestine was not as beautiful as its neighboring country, but she had only been gone for just over a week and she had missed the atmosphere that surrounded her now.

The smell of something delicious was definitely in the air: smelled not only sweet and salty at the same time, but also inviting and would make even someone who had just had his or her meal salivate all over again. It must be nearing dinnertime, and Andrantiel could not think of any other better time to arrive home.

The scent, fused with the fresh breeze that had traveled through the trees, embraced her as she rode through a row of edifices towards the palace. On either side of the path, her people gathered to greet her in many ways: they waved, smiled, grinned, bowed, some even offered her dinner, and though it looked tasty, Andrantiel politely declined.

She wanted to reach her parents without wasting anymore time.

However, soon her curiosity was forgotten, and she paced herself slowly and stopped occasionally to have a chat with some of her people. Perhaps it was just the very fact, that nothing could beat the feeling of someone returning to his or her homeland.

Finally, Andrantiel reached the palace. Its Great Hall welcomed her, and as she looked around, something struck her. It was a bit odd; the hall was looked and felt exactly the same as she had left it. Still dominated by the colors of green and silver, the chandelier was hanging in its place and the same majestic atmosphere was still there, but it was as if something had changed, though she could not exactly figure out what it was.

"A!"

All the same, to actually hear that particular familiar cheery voice-

Andrantiel could not help smiling. She had really arrived home. Right on cue, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. She did not need to look down to know who it was. A pair of bright brown eyes was looking at her, framed by straight brown hair just like hers.

"I missed you." Liandra said in her baby voice.

"Missed you too, L," replied Andrantiel, hugging her sister back. She looked around. "Where are Mother and Father?"

"Why does that matter? You can meet them later, after you finish telling me all about Narnia. They were too occupied to tell me much when they were here."

Andrantiel laughed. The truth was she would have expected the same thing from herself when she was still Liandra's age. "Hey, you know what they're like. Moreover, I do not want to be bored by their lectures at dinner table tonight, L. So, come on, where are they?"

"In the Throne Room. At least, Dad is. Are you going there?"

"Yes," said Andrantiel. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing Liandra pout. However, Andrantiel did not wait for a reply, and wasted no time to continue, "Okay, here, accompany me, and I'll tell you about Narnia as we walk."

"Yay!" Liandra cheered, her face brightening up. Andrantiel watched her excitement, and she had no doubts that Liandra and Lucy had their resemblances.

Andrantiel ended up taking more time than she had expected to reach the Throne Room, thanks to Liandra, but she finally got there. Liandra left her in front of the doors and she messed her little sister's hair up one last time before she straightened herself out, ready to face her father.

She waited for the doors to be opened.

Inside, her father was at his desk, which was enormous but almost invisible under the piles of parchment piled upon it. He was leaning forward, inspecting each piece carefully.

The King of Celestine was a burly man. He indeed had a strong figure and his stern look and sharp eyes sent a clear message to people not to mess with him, but Andrantiel had stopped being intimidated by it a long time ago.

Her father used to be scary, but as she got older, the sensation of fear gradually faded as she encountered many more of these looks. She had just gotten used to him and his harsh expression.

"Hail, Your Majesty, King of Celestine," said Andrantiel, making a curtsey. "I'm home, Father."

Her father looked up, nodding. "Welcome home, my dear child. Please, sit. Tell me how Narnia was."

Andrantiel took her seat. "Everything there was wonderful, Father. I cannot wait to go back soon," replied her, fully aware that her father did not actually want to hear her story, because his gaze was diverted to the parchment again. "There were a few things, however, that concerned me."

The King of Celestine said nothing. _Typical_, Andrantiel thought.

However, she was not going to stop there.

"Father, I wish to know of the things you told the Kings of Narnia."

Silence.

"Father?" pressed Andrantiel. "I want to know what you said. You told them no truths, did you?"

"Andra, of course you know that I wouldn't tell them the truth." He scribbled something on the parchment paper.

"But they helped us with our battle!"

"Yes, yes, I'm aware of that," replied her father. "And watch your tone, I don't like it." He frowned reading something on the parchment. "It is true, of course, that Narnia had come to our aid, but I don't think it is _ever _a good idea to trust our secret to an outsider. Remember what happened with the Tisroc? He found out by himself, did he not? It was far to risky to tell the Narnians."

Andrantiel fell silent. Her father was probably right, but the whole marriage thing?

"So you just told them that the Tisroc wanted me to be his bride so badly that he was willing to risk the battle just for the sake of it?"

Finally, her father looked up. He was frowning. "Well, the High King of Narnia refused to kill without a strong reason. He inquired what the difference would be if we just captured them, and I was forced to tell him that the Tisroc held a strong desire to marry you, as he intended not just to make you his bride but also to control Celestine."

"And he accepted that excuse?" asked Andrantiel in disbelief.

"He understood. Apparently, he saw you as an exception of beauty also. Now, if you are finished, my daughter. There are still some things that I need to oversee before dinner."

---

**Quick author's note: **

Geez, thank you! To all of you: all who review (you guys rule!) and all who, well, reads this, particularly. I can't believe I've reached the middle of the story already! Hope it's still interesting to read. XD Sorry for the not so frequent updates, I'll try to update the next chapter soon!

In the meantime, drop me some lines!

P.S. Mira, thanks always! XD


	12. Laughs and Secrets

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Twelve: Laughs and Secrets**

"Come on, A!"

Andrantiel smiled as she hurried to keep up with Liandra's pace. It was only a few hours after dinner, and Andrantiel was sure that both of them were expected to be somewhere else. Nevertheless, there they were, running through the maze of corridors.

These corridors were located on the other side of the palace, where things were calmer and more solemn. Perhaps it was caused by the lack of light; the corridors looked dim and the shadows were thick in some corners, giving the whole place a kind of eerie atmosphere. Even though that was so, Andrantiel liked the passage. There were hidden ways leading out to the back of palace, and the idea that she could sneak out without anyone noticing was delightful.

In addition, that was what both princesses had in mind that time.

"Hey, wait for me," Andrantiel said when Liandra got too far from her. "And keep your voice down. We're not supposed to be here, remember?"

Liandra was ready to vanish around the corner, but she managed to halt briefly so her sister could catch up. The younger princess opened her mouth to reply-

When both of them heard it.

Laughter. Even though the sound echoed off the walls, it was obvious that there was only one person who was laughing. It was odd; Andrantiel was not sure whether whoever it was, was simply expressing happiness or he or she was suffering from insanity. One thing was sure though, the laughing almost swallowed the sound of many footsteps.

"Who laughs like that?" Liandra whispered, trying to take a peek (but Andrantiel held her back). "It gives me the shivers."

Andrantiel said nothing. Actually, she felt the same thing: the older princess found that she was uneasy as well, and though she could not exactly explain why, she made sure Liandra was concealed from view before she ducked her head out to steal a look.

Perhaps that was because she had a bad feeling about it.

The first thing Andrantiel saw was marching Celestine guards. It was not something uncommon; they marched now and then between shifts, but the thing that caught her attention was the strange expression on their faces. Usually they marched expressionlessly, but this time, Andrantiel was sure that she could interpret those looks as looks of determination and also something else: apprehension, as if something was wrong.

They surrounded a man, guarding him. Andrantiel looked more closely at the prisoner. While the guards were wearing their emerald uniforms, this man was dressed in gaudy colors. He looked extravagant even in the dimness, and by the way he walked and carried himself, Andrantiel could take a guess that he was a prince of some sort. However, instead of crown he wore a turban on his head.

At the sight of his turban, Andrantiel came to the conclusion that he was one of the Calormenes. A lord.

He was a prisoner of Celestine now.

Andrantiel had never actually met one before; she just heard some unpleasant, if not evil, stories of their deeds, but as she looked at him, she had difficulties imagining him doing such things. The Lord looked so calm, and his eyes told Andrantiel that he was, indeed, an educated man.

Of course, that impression lasted for just for a moment before the Tarkaan Lord laughed.

They had heard the same laugh earlier. His laugh was no doubt, indescribably psychotic.

"Andra, is he mad?"

Andrantiel turned. "Hush," she whispered. "I don't know Liandra. I think we should get going."

"Alright…"

Andrantiel took Liandra's hand to pull her away. The mad Tarkaan Lord was not something that she wished Liandra to see and his laugh had made her frightened already.

But-

"Curse them!"

Shouts came from the Tarkaan Lord. Andrantiel tried to block those shouts from her head, but they slipped in nonetheless.

"Curse Narnia! Yes, yes, curse them, curse them, and they are cursed indeed…"

Andrantiel froze.

_Narnia?_

Andrantiel could hear one of the guards shouting a warning, but as she looked at him one more time, the Lord clearly did not seem to be troubled at all.

Andrantiel could tell that he was oblivious to the world all around him. His gaze was actually directed to an empty space, but he was actually smirking at it, as if he saw something that pleased him greatly.

"What's this?" he asked no one, and no one answered. "Darkness falls upon Narnia? Good, good, very good… Just like she said… The triumph of darkness!"

He practically shouted the last sentence aloud before laughing some more; each time his laugh getting louder and louder, piercing through Andrantiel's ears.

She felt her blood drain from her face.

"A?"

Andrantiel turned. She had forgotten that Liandra was still there.

"Are you okay?" Liandra asked, concern written all over her face.

Andrantiel blinked. She needed some time to recover herself, but then, faking a smile, she hastily said, "I am. Let's go."

Andrantiel led Liandra down the corridor, but instead of taking the turn towards the hidden passage that would lead them to the secret exit; she made her way back to the Great Hall.

There was something else she needed to do.

Andrantiel pushed Liandra gently in the direction of the Drawing Room, where she assumed her mother was. "L, I forgot. I have to do something."

"What?"

Liandra obviously did not desire to return to the Drawing Room just yet. Her refusal was apparent on her face, and Andrantiel knew that her little sister needed sufficient reassurance.

"I'm sorry," said Andrantiel. "I will make it up to you later, alright?"

Liandra would not have let her go otherwise. Not without a lengthy explanation first, which she did not have time to do right now.

Therefore, Andrantiel decided to end it quick. "I promise. Tonight. Your chambers. We're going to have some fun."

Andrantiel was not so sure Liandra agreed; her sister's face still radiated unwillingness, but-

"You'd better be there," Liandra said, grinning.

Andrantiel forced herself to grin back, because at that moment the last sentence the Tarkaan Lord had shouted out was ringing in her head:

"…_The triumph of darkness…"_

_What on earth-_

_--- _

**Quick author's note:**

Everybody come here, I want to give you all a hug each! Thank you for reviewing! You all make my day… And sorry for not updating sooner, I'll try finishing the next chapter very soon (and end the curiosity). Don't you want to know? ( )

Bottom line, thanks for Mira as always for beta-reading this! Hope to see you all again next time!


	13. Revelations Within

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Thirteen: Revelation Within**

Andrantiel burst into the palace's largest library, which was located in the East Wing of the palace.

It was a circular room covered in shelves reaching the ceiling and curving to fit the walls. A single table stood at the centre of the room. However, in the darkness of night (Andrantiel only held a small oil lamp in her hand), the main room of the library seemed like an endless void of blackness.

Nevertheless, Andrantiel knew the place like the back of her hand and did not waste her time wandering around. She knew where she was going.

There were actually two other rooms that led out of the main one: the path on the back of room that was covered by burgundy curtains on its either side led directly to another identical room just like the previous one (only bigger and consisting of older books and manuscripts). However, as Andrantiel made her way along it, she turned right abruptly. It was the hardly known room that she was after: the chamber that was meant only for the royal family.

The Princess walked towards the curtain then drew it back. More darkness greeted her, but she knew that there was a bigger torch somewhere on her left, so, holding her lamp, she reached for it then lit it.

As Andrantiel lit the other torches in the room, the chamber was revealed as quite a small room. It was regally decorated: the paintings on the wall were impressive in richness of color and texture, and the floor was covered with some velvet-like material, but the furniture consisted of only a shelf, a round table and a few reading chairs.

Andrantiel recalled her parents finally deciding to reveal the hidden chamber on her fifteenth birthday. The thing that caught her eye first was the sword that hung on the wall. Knowing her father, the weapon was not supposed to be there but should have been in the palace's armory. It was rather plain: the sheath bore the famous motif of Celestine, but apart from that, it just looked, simply put, old.

Andrantiel used to wonder what was so magnificent about the sword, the same way she wondered what was so exciting about the room. However, when her mother told her what was stored on the single shelf, she was captivated at once.

For on the shelf were the manuscripts she had never read nor heard of before. They told the stories of her ancestors: how they were brave and adventurous, how they had traveled almost to every land, including Narnia, back in the days-

And how they were known as the Wanderers.

Anyway, she knew that it was all over. If they were the descendants of the Wanderers, then what were they doing there? Even from her earliest memory, Andrantiel could not remember any other homeland other than Celestine, and her people never traveled too far for it to be called adventures.

They were only Celestine inhabitants. Nothing more.

And it was where she could not be any more mistaken.

It was a cloudy day, a few years ago, and Andrantiel was using her time at the Royal Chamber with her mother. The princess was inspecting an early map drawn by the Wanderers: sketches of Celestine, Narnia, Archenland, and a few places she had never heard of, while her mother was cleaning and wiping the sword, cautiously, meticulously.

Andrantiel remembered glancing at her mother and feeling a common tie between herself and her mother. She had surreptitiously thought that her fascination with blades had something to do with her mother, and while the Queen had never brought up the subject or even appeared to have wielded a sword, Andrantiel could tell that she was actually fond of it.

She remembered asking her mother about said sword. "What's so mighty about it, Mother?"

Her mother threw her a secretive smile. "Do you really want to know, my child?"

Andrantiel frowned. It seemed that the clandestine side of her mother had returned. "It is, indeed, something I wish to know."

Her mother said nothing afterwards, but her expression told more than enough to stay in Andrantiel's mind for a long time.

The Queen of Celestine could be unfathomable a number of times, even to her own daughter. But when flickers of...something...appeared on her face, Andrantiel had learnt from experience not to take her eyes off her mother, for she knew something significant was about to happen.

And so that was what the princess did, with the ancient map left forgotten on her lap. She watched as her mother put the sword back in its sheath, hang it back on the wall, and then-

She twisted its grip, to which Andrantiel assumed nearly broke the sword. She recalled being doubtful of her own sight.

Metal? Torn by a lady's force?

"Come, my daughter." Her mother's words startled Andrantiel, cutting through her line of thought. "It is time."

Andrantiel remembered wondering what her mother was talking about. She was actually rooted to the spot, but snapped out of her thoughts to realize that her mother had moved to the front of the bookshelf. Andrantiel amused herself at this point, half-jokingly thinking to herself that the shelf might reveal a hole behind it (where the secret rooms in fairy tales were likely to be), but then the Queen stopped with her back facing it.

Instead, she lifted the velvet carpet, and Andrantiel could feel herself gape, openmouthed.

A gap was revealed, with a series of stone stairs that led downwards. Her mother started down it, with Andrantiel following right behind her. What she remembered about the passage was her expectations: A secret passageway in a concealed chamber? There should be something extraordinary kept there, and as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Andrantiel knew that her expectations had been met, if not exceeded.

Andrantiel did not quite know what her mother did at that time; the secret room lit up in an instant. Not with torch light, for whatever illuminated the room was brighter than any torch. But Andrantiel's mind was too distracted by what she saw next that she did not inquire about it until later.

She just remembered trying to take in the view in front of her all at once as she blurted out something along the lines of: "They're… beautiful…"

Her first impression was of how full and crowded the room was: shelves and tables were everywhere, not dusty, but still old, if not ancient. There were various trinkets laid here and there, glinting, reflecting the light into Andrantiel's eyes. Swords (beautiful and breathtaking as the princess hefted some up, amazed to see the ancient runes that were skillfully carved on them), shields, goblets, plates, bowls, gems, crowns, and that was only to name a few.

Andrantiel picked one of the crowns up, and she was actually stunned to see that it was crafted with real gold leaves. Her own crown was not so lavishly decorated –her father's, perhaps, but not hers. The princess spun to see plants in the room: there were shelves with lots and lots of glass vials and bottles containing herbs, flowers, and just...plants. Dried, of course.

Andrantiel had just looked away for a split second before yet another thing caught her eye. She could see flickers of fire out of the corner of her eye, and so she turned to see where it was. It turned out that there was a fireplace at the back of the room, but to her amazement, its fire was burning with dancing flames, but was a clear greenish color.

It was at this point that her mother first spoke since they came in. "This is the real us."

She remembered just standing there, stunned, perhaps managing to croak "Mother?" but she was not sure if she did.

She just remembered her mother starting to explain that there were so many things that she hadn't known about Celestine yet, that their ancestors were indeed The Wanderers (and so much more), and it was the parchment that was spread on the large table at the center of the room was the key that finally made her believe.

That was the real reason Andrantiel would spend hours locked inside the room.

And it was the reason she was back in there again that night.

Andrantiel hurried to the large table. She knew she had read it somewhere. She picked a piece of parchment covered in meticulous handwriting. No, it was not what she was looking for. She instantly put it down and picked up another one.

She practically upended the table to find the parchment that looked familiar. '_There it is_,' Andrantiel breathed to herself, feeling her heart beat faster as she unrolled the parchment. It was the telling of the legendary Healing Herbs of Mistari, but as Andrantiel turned the parchment on its side, some messy scribbles of her ancestors' own writing stared back at her.

She had intended to prove what the Tarkaan Lord blabbered about was indeed pure madness, but as she scanned the parchment once again, written there which chilled her bones in an instant was:

… _The hunter had lost. He could to do nothing by himself except mutter some jumbled things, with the following included: "The triumph of darkness!" which…_

Suddenly the room felt like it was freezing despite the crackling fire, and Andrantiel knew what she had to do.

It seemed like she had to break her promise to Liandra.

---

**Quick author's note:**

If your fingertips is itching to press the 'review' button, then I know that I'm on the right track, hehehe…. This chapter wasn't an easy one to write, I stumbled couple of times, but I hope it turns out okay… XD That being said-

Whoaaa…. Thank you for the reviews, guys! They make my day… grins. Love you all! And, to Mira, don't ever get tired hearing (or reading) this: Thanks! XD


	14. Darkness In Narnia

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Fourteen: Darkness in Narnia**

Andrantiel stared into the darkness ahead of her.

She did not remember the air ever being so chilly. On her first journey to Cair Paravel, she had taken the same route, traveling through Narnia at night just as she was doing the second time around; but strangely enough the weather felt so much colder now, and the wind felt sinister against her skin.

_Are there really changes in the air or is it all happening in my head?_

Andrantiel shrugged the negative thoughts away. Calm down, Andra, she said to herself. Do not be so silly. She pulled her traveling cloak around herself, glancing sideways at her royal guards.

She had almost decided to leave the both of them behind. At the time, she had thought that she had no need for protection, because, well, she was capable of wielding a sword and she knew it. However, as Andrantiel placed her explanation letter on her writing desk back in her chambers many moments ago, she realized that both Ronan and Rafael were more than just her protectors; they were her best friends and she felt as if she had an obligation to wake them up and take them along. They had always been by her side since she was a child, and it was they who turned her swordsmanship from mere experiments into a scheme by teaching her real techniques after she pressed them to do so.

When Andrantiel shook them awake, both knights seemed confused at first but they had no objections even though the Princess was leaving the palace without permission, only leaving behind a brief letter of justification.

They looked gloomy in the darkness, though, now as they were riding on either side of her. Perhaps it was because they could sense her uneasiness.

The three of them had been traveling in silence, with Andrantiel forming countless possible reasons to calm her pounding heart down, to no avail. She had been telling herself that she would make herself wallow in embarrassment when she finally reached Cair Paravel: Edmund probably would playfully tease her, as Lucy graciously thanked her for her concern, but as she went on, she knew that she might not have needed to worry about it at all.

Andrantiel was almost sure that the river at her side was the Great River. Its width fitted its description, being the widest river in Narnia. However, to actually reach the Great River from Celestine they should at least take half a day-

Andrantiel was worried. Because, in any case, they were still in the darkness.

And what was that sound she thought she had heard seconds earlier? It only took Andrantiel to murmur, "Rafael" for the knights to grip their swords. The Princess herself placed her hand on the hilt of hers.

She had picked it herself from the secret underground chamber but never actually had the opportunity to use it before. It did not feel like the moment she had imagined it to be, where she would grip the sword tightly, ready for whatever that would come.

Instead, the sword seemed to weigh a great deal more, and a wave of uneasiness hit her as she caught whiff of something sickening in the air.

It was the smell of blood.

Andrantiel listened more closely for distant sounds. No, they were not humans. The footsteps were too fast and overlapped. She glanced at Ronan who mouthed a silent word that explained everything: "Wolves".

Wolves? If she was not mistaken, Peter's North Region captain and his men had them under control. In the days of the White Witch, wolves were her subordinates, and the fact that a large number of them were on the loose that night was not a good sign.

She knew her horse had heard and smelled them too; he became restless. The Princess leaned forward, whispering in his ear, trying to soothe him, while her grip on her sword tightened and she could feel the air freezing.

It was when she straightened herself up to glance at Rafael again that the piercing sounds of wolves' howls and horses' screams filled her ears, the same time she almost fell of her horse when it gave a violent jerk.

She had been caught off guard! One of them had sunk its fangs into her horse, and now the same wolf was growling menacingly, baring his sharp, bloody teeth as he looked up at her, seemingly enjoying the idea of scaring a helpless princess.

Moreover, perhaps the Princess would be a royal feast for his pack.

However, Andrantiel made her own decision before something as trivial as logic came into the picture. Without thinking, the Princess had pulled her sword out of its sheath, stared straight into the wolf's feral eyes, then without holding back, she slashed the beast at his throat.

The next second her horse had fallen; she jumped off before she was crushed below him, and as she straightened herself then spun around-

She could see that they were trapped. The pack of the wolves could have been the same pack that served the White Witch, for the beasts were smartly circling the three of them, each opening their mouths widely as they growled. Perhaps they were extremely hungry, but they were angry as well, as Andrantiel could see Ronan and Rafael had dismounted from their own horses, clutching bloody swords in their hands. Both of the royal guards instinctively moved closer to the Princess, trying to protect her from either side.

"Hello, strangers," rumbled one of them. "Or rather, feast."

"Do you, humans, have any last words?" snarled the other.

Andrantiel said nothing. She feared no death, because, it had not actually crossed her mind yet. What filled her mind at that time was the knowledge that she was the descendant of the Wanderers, and though sometimes she doubted she ever was one, she was sure now. If there were anything she wished to do before her time, it was slaying as many wolves as she could.

However, what would become of Narnia?

Andrantiel glanced at her guards' faces. There were burning flames there. She cast them a look, practically crushing her sword, and then-

"Let them go, Megrim."

Andrantiel looked up. Beyond the circling wolves, some figures – a few on horses, a few on foot – emerged, adding in number as the seconds passed. They formed another circle around the wolves' formation, holding sharp weapons to each and every one of the beasts. Andrantiel could see that they bore the sign of the red lion – Narnian knights – as some held torches on their hands.

Soon the Princess could feel herself being pulled – actually yanked – away from the small confrontation that was going on. She struggled to pull free as the light of the torches minimized her sight, but the person – or thing – that had her by the arms, spoke.

She knew that voice. It was belonged to the North Region captain she had met earlier.

He was whispering softly, stopping her from resisting. "Pardon me for doing this, Your Highness, for I have no choice. My men will take care of wolves, and there is no need for Your Highness, or Your Highness' guards, to linger in Narnia for another second. It's no longer safe to travel only with two of Your Highness' royal guards, no matter how skillful they are."

"What did you just say?" mouthed Andrantiel, feeling the knot on her stomach tightened for the first time. "What is happening?"

"It is not my place-"

"Don't you dare say to me that it's not your place," hissed the Princess, letting some of her steam out. "Speak plainly!"

The captain fell silent, but then as he looked up to see the determination on Andrantiel' face, he faltered. He seemed to know that there was no way he could escape from the Princess. He was giving up. "Look around you, Your Highness. Would you believe me if I told you that it is noon in Narnia?"

Andrantiel froze in an instant.

…_The triumph of darkness…_

_It cannot be! _

The Princess looked up, straight into the captain's eyes, as she spoke unwaveringly. "I command you to take me to your High King. Now."

---

**Quick author's note:**

Whoa… Just a few days until the special edition DVD! is excited. Hope it'll arrive at the same time (or soon after) in my place...

Anyway, thanks for the reviews for the last chapter (chapter 13th)! As usual they all mean A LOT for me, no matter what's written positive or negative, 'coz then I know that someone reads this story and cares enough to leave a trail, hehehe… So keep them coming, guys! Anyway, recently things go a bit slow at do they not?

But then, I also take a long time to update, hehe… grins. Well, Mira, thanks as always, okay? Good luck with your fic, I'm waiting for the next installment!


	15. Havoc

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Fifteen: Havoc**

As soon as Andrantiel stepped inside the Great Hall of Cair Paravel, she felt more than dreadful. The palace was in chaos. It was full of Narnians: most were sprawled on the floor, looking terribly sick and close to darkness, while the rest were busy attending to the sick, flitting here and there, never at ease.

The Princess could sense a heavy evil presence inside.

"Princess?"

Andrantiel didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking. Even though the call was cautious, there was no one else who called her simply 'Princess'.

Peter.

Andrantiel found the High King kneeling beside one of his knights. He stood up as she walked over to him; the Princess felt a sudden rush of relief. Peter looked much, much older and tired than before, but at the very least he was still standing.

Though his eyes looked somewhat dim and they sent chills down her spine.

"Peter," breathed Andrantiel, unaware that she had just called the High King by his first name. "What's-"

Andrantiel's words stuck in her throat, for she just noticed what the High King had been doing. He had resumed his previous position; pressing a piece of cloth over the front of the knight he was treating the moment before. Apparently the knight was badly wounded on his abdomen and fresh blood was everywhere.

It was oozing out, glowing a dull red.

Andrantiel stomach churned uneasily. She had never seen that much blood before, although the battle had taken place a few days ago.

The Princess could only stand there, paralyzed as Peter turned to speak to the knight. "Is there anything else you need, Karl?"

The knight- Karl - shook his head in reply, but Andrantiel could see the almost-concealed uncertainty in his eyes as he replied quietly, "Don't worry about me, Your Highness."

Peter attempted a reassuring smile. "Let me fetch Susan, alright?"

With that he stood up, turning to Andrantiel. "Princess?" he asked, beckoning to Andrantiel to follow him.

Andrantiel did. Peter led her past many more sick knights and creatures: some were clearly having nightmares in their unconsciousness while others let out groans, the Princess' heart sinking every second that went by.

"Peter," uttered Andrantiel, feeling dizzy. "There was no further attack, was there?"

"No," Peter replied. Andrantiel wasn't sure whether it was her imagination, but did Peter's voice sounded somewhat -

Distant?

It was then that Andrantiel saw the older Queen. Susan was helping a Centaur with a torso wound drink, looking gloomy just like everyone else. Andrantiel was sure that the Queen had been crying; her eyes appeared bloodshot, but she was making her best effort not to let it show as she turned to the Princess after Peter called to her softly.

"Andra!" she exclaimed, and both the Royals hugged each other. "What are you doing here?"

The Princess wasn't sure if she was still capable of intelligible speech as she was enclosed in Susan's hug, and so she said nothing, although she felt the sudden urge to cry as well. Fortunately Peter prevented any unnecessary wailing by reminding Susan that Karl the Knight needed her further seeing to.

Both Andrantiel and Peter observed her as Susan hurried to where Karl lay. They were silent for a moment. Andrantiel was at loss to what she could possibly say, while Heaven only knew what was on Peter's mind.

"There's a lot of blood."

"I know," replied Peter. "His wounds won't seem to heal."

"But-" Andrantiel stopped mid-sentence, desperate for some consolation. "Does Lucy's cordial not help?"

Peter paused for a while as if he had remembered something awful before he replied. "No."

It was then when Andrantiel remembered that she hadn't actually seen the other two Pevensie siblings so far. She had expected Lucy to be there, dashing around with her cordial. And Edmund, well, she had thought Edmund would be in charge of the safety of Cair Paravel now that his brother and sisters were supposedly absorbed in taking care of the sick, but-

There was a horrid question lurking in the corner of her mind, something she was most unwilling to ask but one that she knew she had to.

"Peter, where are Lucy and Edmund?"

Peter didn't answer.

Andrantiel wasn't sure, but maybe it was the flashes of sorrow she thought she saw in Peter's eyes, or that she just knew, because soon the Princess found herself saying, horrified, "Edmund's ill?

"What happened?" she asked to no one in particular, feeling dazed, her voice didn't sound like hers and there were too many images rushing through her mind.

"What has happened to Narnia?"

It seemed like Peter was taking all the time he needed before he finally dragged his eyes that were previously aimed at the ground up to look at the Princess'.

"Were you told of the White Witch's blade's disappearance?" he said quietly.

Andrantiel turned cold in all the sudden. Words from the ancient parchment danced in front of her eyes.

* * *

**Quick author's note:**

I'm so sorry for this short chapter! Just hoping that I don't mess it all up, 'coz this chapter is hard to be written, that's why it takes such a long time for me to update (I don't even remember when was the last time I did.)

Perhaps I should explain why Andrantiel at once knows that Edmund's sick, but it actually has been answered in the chapters, so I guess I don't need to, right? XD

Last, of course… Thank you guys! You all rock! Don't know what I'd do without you guys… XD And to **Mira**, thanks as always for beta-reading this… (Where's your new chapter?) IOU!

I'm doing my best to update the next chapter soon, but for now, uh, sorry, I guess it's another cliffie…


	16. The Enchanted Blade

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Enchanted Blade**

"Were you told of the White Witch's blade's disappearance?" Peter said quietly.

Andrantiel turned cold all of the sudden. Words from the ancient parchment danced in front of her eyes.

_… What came out from the hunter's mouth was this: "The triumph of darkness!" And he never let the strange shimmering blade out of his sight. Never. Not when he sat, muttering to himself; not when he ate, still mumbling to himself; and not even when he slept, though he hardly slept at all._

_For it wasn't an ordinary blade, he said. It was gifted to him from 'her Majesty', and he called her 'The Ultimate One'. He described her as unassailable, beautiful and powerful. Pale, yes, but burning in cold passion, and she would rule Narnia now, tomorrow, and forever more._

_There was no way to prove this, however, for when our friend, one of the Wanderers named Pamina, went to see the hunter for an arranged meeting in his tent one day, he had gone, leaving behind a pile of bones with blood everywhere. His blood._

_It was strongly suspected to be the doing of a pack of beastly wolves, in which some were mentioned in ancient tales to be the right hand subordinates of the Fair Witch of Charn. Her description closely matched the hunter's 'Ultimate One', but the tales were too curtailed to give us - the Wanderers - sufficient information, and so we decided to take it as something we will never know._

_Only one thing was not included in our doubts:_

_The blade had disappeared…_

The White Witch was alleged to have actually lost her blade twice. Once, almost a hundred of years ago, when an unknown hunter appeared with an enchanted blade in his possession. He kept saying things that made no sense, and it appeared as though his mind was clouded by the blade's 'spirit', so to speak. Then, one day, he disappeared along with the blade, and the tale was so muddled and perplexing, people forgot about it in no time, as they were wont to do.

And the second incident was, of course, when she lost the battle of Beruna to the High King who was standing in front of Andrantiel now.

Andrantiel was sure she knew which occurrence Peter was actually talking about. It couldn't be the former, because no outsider was supposed to know of it, even about the ancient parchment.

Peter should be – was - talking about the latter.

"You never encountered it after the battle was over," Andrantiel replied, feeling that sinking sensation, for she knew that all things she had dreaded was indeed happening. "I heard dark rumors that the blade was found by the Tarkaans."

The sickening knot in her stomach tightened even more. What she had on her hands were too well connected to be called a 'coincidence'. A Tarkaan Lord reciting the dark line and Peter talking about the blade from the same ancient tale? Maybe not even a tale, but truth.

"Yes, and they claimed to be tempted by its summons, the whispers that told them to use the blade to shape their weapons into brand new ones, giving them the ability to call forth the power of the original blade."

Andrantiel couldn't look Peter in the eyes now. She knew it wasn't worth it.

"The blades that they used in their battle against you…" Andrantiel spoke the sentence unaware of it escaping her mouth.

"Yes," Peter said, his eyes darkening. "And though I couldn't bring myself to believe it at first, the moment I held what was left of one of the Tarkaan blades I had no choice. It was burning with…hatred in my hands, and I at once knew that the blade hadn't forgotten the things that we did to its former mistress.

"It seeks revenge against Narnia, and revenge is what it has gotten. Now the wounds that were caused by the blades won't seem to heal. Or close, even, for that matter."

No words could do justice to what Andrantiel felt. Suddenly the hall was so stifling and overpowering, and it was like standing in a dream, because everything felt so surreal, so hazy that they couldn't be really happening.

How could it be, when colors were not there anymore, and everything looked grayish? When sounds were muffled to Andrantiel's ears? When she was so sure, so desperately wanting to believe, that she would wake up from this nightmare?

But even though everything felt so detached to her, she was aware of the sudden noise that erupted, though she didn't exactly catch Susan's cry.

All of a sudden she was thrown back into reality in time to realize that Peter had gone from his previous position in front of her: he had dashed to where Karl the Knight lay.

It all happened so fast.

Suddenly everybody was in flurry; shouts were thrown back and forth in the air, carrying a sense of urgency as Andrantiel saw the light in the knight's eyes slowly fade, and his eyes became empty at the same time his heart stopped beating.

And all Andrantiel could do was stand rooted on her spot, frozen.

Another knight had fallen.

And it was all because of she stepped into the Great Hall of Cair Paravel in the first place, to seek assistance in the war of her country. _It's all happening because of me!_

Andrantiel could feel her eyes begin to feel watery.

_Dare I tell him the truth now?_

Andrantiel closed her eyes, trying to blink the tears away. _This isn't the time to cry_, she thought to herself. She heaved a heavy breath as she slowly opened her eyes, steadying her heart.

It didn't do her any good, because the next moment Andrantiel realized that Peter had disappeared again.

Andrantiel blinked a few times. She turned her head.

_Where has he gone?_

Then she saw him. Just a glimpse, though, as he disappeared down a passage.

She didn't know why but she followed him anyway-

Just in time to witness the High King as he lurched forward as soon as he was outside, emptying what was left in his stomach.

* * *

**Quick author's note:**

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates! But I'm trying, so please bear with me for a while, hehehe… As always, I cannot thank you guys who is willing to drop me some reviews – they still mean A LOT for me, so keep them coming! XD

Err, yeah, I guess this is all for now. Hope to see you all really really soon!


	17. Swift Decision

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Seventeen: Swift Decision**

All she could think about was Edmund.

Peter had brought her to the sick King after she had pressed him to, and the first thing Andrantiel noticed was that it was not the Edmund she knew. The younger king's eyes used to flicker with emotion, and while his skin was indeed, pale, almost white, there used to be a slight pinkness across his cheeks that made him look more vigorous than his brother. But the Edmund who was asleep with Lucy resting her head on his abdomen looked far from flushed. Andrantiel acknowledged that he was burning with fever; he was drowning in sweat, but despite this he looked as pale as one could be. And though he was resting, Andrantiel knew that it wasn't ordinary dreams he had, but nightmares.

The darkness that hung around him could not be mistaken.

And Peter said that he had been ill for just a day.

"Princess?"

It didn't take her long to decide what she should do next. After all, she didn't take all those risks to just stop when trouble arrived.

Andrantiel felt the old parchment she carried in her travel cloak pocket, touching it slightly, before mounting her horse.

"Princess!"

Andrantiel started, looking down from her horse to see Peter rushing towards her. It was true that she didn't bid the King goodbye, she didn't think that there was any need. She had originally thought that she could slip out silently.

After all, there was surely little room left in the High King's mind to worry about anything else.

"You are returning to Celestine?" Peter asked, looking up at her.

Silence. _Far from it_. But Andrantiel didn't know how to put the message in words, so she optioned instead to busy herself tightening her travel cloak. That way, she could avoid Peter's gaze and her obligation to answer in the same time.

But, of course, the High King wasn't that easy to deceive.

"Princess," he pressed, sensing something wasn't quite right. His voice was filled with authority.

"There is still hope, Peter," finally Andrantiel replied, praying he wouldn't press any further. "And I just need to look for it."

A pause.

"Why are you doing all this?"

Andrantiel bit her lip. What should she say? What _could_ she say?

"I am free to do anything I wish," she replied finally. "You may be king, but you are not mine."

With that Andrantiel turned her horse, not wanting to see the High King's reaction. He might get somewhat offended by what she had said, but it was better that way. The more time she wasted meant more casualties.

Peter didn't say anything, making her think that he had finally let her leave in peace, but-

"What do you have in mind?"

Andrantiel started again. Suddenly Peter stood by the side of her horse, gripping her bridle- No, he actually only held it, but even though he didn't grasp it tightly in his hand, it was clearly a gesture that said: 'Stay until I let you'.

And coming from Peter, it felt like a direct order, only one that was left unspoken.

Andrantiel knew that she had no other choice but to reply now.

"The Herbs of Healing Mistari."

Peter clearly thought he had heard it wrong. "Mist- But, they're just… legends."

Andrantiel could not help but to smirk, even a little bit.

_Legends… The Wanderers are legends as well, but look how real I, their descendant, can be… _

Andrantiel then looked down to see Peter still waiting for an explanation. She let out a slight sigh.

"They are more than legend," she stated simply.

"And you know this-"

"Please." _Don't push me, Peter, please_. "I just need you to trust me."

The High King said nothing, his silent stare moving from her to her horse, then to both Ronan and Rafael who were ready to depart at anytime their princess saw fit, and then returning back to the princess.

Andrantiel waited with a slightly quicker heartbeat. It was perhaps a losing battle.

After a pause, Peter finally let her horse's bridle go.

_He's letting me leave? _

But then Peter turned to his side, where a faun was standing next to him, then said, "Would you prepare Dusk for me?"

What?

+

"Where on the Southern side?" Peter asked.

"The unnamed woods at the West of the Glasswater Creek," Andrantiel replied, still in a daze of the whole situation.

She and the High King were riding side by side now. Peter didn't take the unicorn he normally rode, but was instead riding a black horse, Dusk, and he also brought two of his horsemen along with him.

After the brief question about their destination, the six riders fell into silence. What could be heard were the hooves of their horses, and such monotone sounds they were; finally making the question that arose within Andrantiel impossible to be held back.

Andrantiel turned to him. "Peter."

The High King held up his hands. "You asked me to trust you. That is what I'm doing."

"But Cair Paravel-"

"General Hermeus can handle it. What's left of our court of Centaurs is still lethal."

Andrantiel smiled bitterly hearing it.

Indeed, the princess silently agreed, but she also wondered how long they could last. She weighed this matter in her mind for some time, until she was startled to find that silence had fallen between them once again.

Andrantiel looked up to see Peter was lost in his own thoughts too. There was the weight of the whole of Narnia reflected in his eyes, but on top of it all was the look he had in his eyes when he had been standing beside his younger brother's bed, watching him sleeping.

"They'll be fine…" he trailed off.

And Andrantiel suddenly felt like she could understand him now; feeling warm for a moment, but left heavily heartbroken the next. She wished there was more that she could do to ease his burden.

_Why can't you just say that you need to do this for Edmund?_

_

* * *

_

**Quick author's note:**

Thank you, guys! For the reviews (they still, and will always, I guess, make my day, so, if I may ask you a favor, it's to drop some! LoL), for putting this fic in your alert/favorite list (you cannot imagine how grateful I am), and, well, also for willing to read it until this far!

I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but I'm trying. Honestly. I also apologize for my inability to reply all of your reviews personally. I'm in my final year, so, please, bear with me! That doesn't mean I don't love you all. Reviews are the best gift you can give to a writer, especially for me! laughs

To Mira, I'm sorry if I rushed you the other day. You are the best beta-reader in the whole world! XD


	18. The Unnamed Woods

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Eighteen: The Unnamed Woods**

At first Andrantiel wasn't so sure that the forest that was spread in front of her was the Unnamed Woods, because with the darkness that surrounded everything, every group of trees looked dark bluish just the same. However, as she, along with Peter and the four horsemen, stopped their horses right at the entrance of it, her gut picked up the sense of something mystical radiating strongly from within. Perhaps it was caused by the Wanderers' blood that ran through her, but a mere second later she could sense that Peter had also shifted at her side.

The Princess turned to see him frowning.

"Is there anything wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," Peter replied, touching his sword as the rush of chilly wind swept past them.

_Like it is going to trap us in its coldness_, Andrantiel thought, making a mental note on Peter's gesture. She was sure that it meant that there was actually something that didn't add up in the air.

Andrantiel pulled the parchment out to study it further. She had to squint to read it because of the lack of light, but it was enough to make out what exact direction they should go.

"We have to go to the heart of the woods," she said finally, leading her horse towards the woods.

Only, her horse was clearly against the Princess, as he instead gave out a loud neigh then jerked away rather violently from the forest.

"Whoa," Andrantiel breathed, stroking his mane to soothe him. "Calm down, it's okay."

A moment after the Princess got on her feet, still stroking her horse, she darted her eyes toward Peter.

The High King returned her look. Dusk, his horse, seemed to look anxious as well. He didn't jerk himself away like Andrantiel's did, but Peter apparently also noticed something in Dusk's eyes, as he also mounted off his horse then nodded understandingly to the Princess.

They would proceed further on foot then.

Soon all of the six riders had gotten on their feet, all trying to calm their horses down as they tied them up together to the outer trees of the forest.

Andrantiel could feel the cold wind sneak past her neck, sending an icy chill down her spine as she gave her horse some final soothing strokes. She was shuddering slightly when she heard the voice speaking quietly from her back.

"Such the ill-mannered of the woods."

Andrantiel startled, feeling sure that the only one that she had her back to was only Dusk. Some confusion arose in her, but then she remembered that she couldn't recall seeing Peter using any bridle on the black horse and yet he also wasn't showing any signs of having difficulties regarding where he was going.

Andrantiel concluded that Dusk was, of course, one of the Talking Horses of Narnia.

She turned to the Talking Horse to see him speaking further to his master, Peter, who was listening to him intently as he put his hand on Dusk's long neck.

"Do not worry about us, Your Highness. I will guard them with all my might."

"I know you will," Peter replied, stroking the Talking Horse's mane with apparent affection before he turned to Andrantiel with his sheath gripped tightly in his grasp.

Andrantiel looked back at him before she took her first step into the woods.

The first thing she noticed was how quiet it was inside. She was standing on a path that was possibly made by the fauns or other sort of being, but the Princess was also aware of the lack of the animals' sounds. The lack of cheerful chirps of the birds was quite understandable under the circumstances, but there was also no aural evidence of night animals as well. No distant sounds of wings flapping, no suspicious movements among the bushes, nothing.

What could be heard was only the heaves of their own breaths on top of the faint rustles of the leaves that fell onto the ground.

The silence of the woods was unnerving.

Andrantiel ran her eyes around as she took a few steps more, carefully walking on top of the dry foliage that felt so rigid under her feet, as if it was frozen by the cold. All around her, the trees were standing tall – abnormally tall – that she could not make out the top of them, and they looked like they were squeezed together, as if they were ready for an attack.

Even from the corner of her eyes Andrantiel could see that Peter looked tenser than ever.

"I don't like this," the High King said quietly, trashing some slight mist into the air.

Andrantiel turned slightly to him to reply, but-

She was cut by something that whizzed past her towards Peter. Andrantiel was paralyzed in an instant, before she slowly turned, feeling as if the world went still and all that was moving was her heart.

It skipped a beat the moment she could see that there was a twig sticking out from where Peter's feet had been before. The High King had taken a jump back by instinct, and now he was stopped dead; his blood drained from his face.

In the split second the six riders realized that they had entered the target zone.

"Get covered!" someone shouted, and at once all the Narnians and Celestines bolted, scattering themselves into various directions with dry leaves and flowers' petals flying everywhere.

Andrantiel practically slammed herself behind a large tree, just in time before the twig arrows struck its trunk one on top of another. She barely had the time to breathe as more arrows were launched, assaulting the upper part of the tree.

Constant attack.

She glanced to her side. Behind the nearest tree, separated by the shower attack of the arrows, Rafael was looking back at her. He had his sword ready in his hand, looking like he wanted to shout something to the Princess, but Andrantiel paid no further attention as out of nowhere she felt something move past her.

She looked down to see a vine creeping around her feet at the same time as she sensed another movement. Next the tree that she originally used as her cover seemed to spring from the ground, its branches closing in on her as if they wanted to swallow her alive.

_The walking trees of Narnia!_

Andrantiel knew that she still had the time to run off from its grasp, but in the end, it'd be just pure luck that would keep her from being struck by the arrows whose piercing sound was still bombarding the air. Her best bet was probably using the branches as her base to jump to the top ones of the tree.

After that she figured that she would have to take it from there. One way or another, the stake remained high, but-

"Your Highness!"

Andrantiel turned. Rafael had just thrown her something. It was a large piece of dried tree skin that was pretty thick and almost perfect as an improvised shield, but the plants were also closing in on her in any given second.

Fast.

Andrantiel jumped, keeping herself moving and thinking of nothing but capturing the wooden shield. She reached out to catch it, seeing more of the vines' army stretched out to stop her, and-

_Slash!_ A blade had just zoomed past her, stabbing the flexible stem of the plant to the limb of the tree. Andrantiel could see some more of them ready on Rafael's hands. She ducked to avoid the attack, slashing some who stood in her way.

Truthfully, she had no idea where she should go, as the whole forest seemed to be the enemy itself. But it was when she did some more ducking that she saw it. A large rock, with a hollow space underneath that was enough to be her temporary cover place. It was there just outside the madness.

Andrantiel slashed her final vine, then without taking another look she took her shot to jump to the rock's direction. She rolled to see whether the trees had noticed or not, but so far there were no dried petals in her sight.

_Flawless_.

She gasped for air, witnessing the branches bind one of Rafael's hands to the tree; his other still had his blades, ready to take a heavy strike. Not far from him was one of Peter's knights, already tied to the tree by the vine, struggling to get hold of his sword.

Peter, somewhere in the middle behind an exceptionally huge tree, was locked in a sword fight – or rather, a sword-branch fight - as he was facing a knight that formed from the petals with thick branch as its sword. His strikes were mostly accurate, chopping the branch effectively though the petals that floated all around him seemed to be getting thicker by the second, compromising some of them. It was no doubt that his sight was somewhat blocked off, and he was getting one more step closer to being cornered with every petal.

Andrantiel took her last intake of heavy breath before darting out of her hiding place, ducking here and there, trying her best to avoid the attack but getting closer to where the knights were bound. She slit the vines and branches without mercy, sending the knights free to the ground.

Andrantiel caught a glimpse of Peter finally striking his opponent out, sending the petals bursting out in the air before the warning cry of one of the knights pulled her back to the battle in front.

She held her breath. _It won't get any easier._

She was doing more ducking, jumping, and slashing, getting herself deeper into the heart of the forest without her knowledge, until her eyes caught a glimpse of something that made her heart stop for a fraction of of a second.

Shiny, silvery glints.

_The herbs!_

Something zoomed near her ears. It was another slashed branch, one that had almost gotten her that Peter had taken care of. She could see from the look in the King's eyes that he already saw her sight fixed on the glints.

"Go!" he shouted, ignoring the menacing petals. "I'll cover you!"

Andrantiel nodded without any word, turning to rush through the bushes to where the sparkle was coming from.

Unfortunately, the forest clearly didn't want her to go any further, because she merely had taken a good few meters' run when something – a trunk of a tree, she silently cursed – tackled her, sending her down to the ground.

As soon as she had gathered herself to get up, she found herself surrounded by the forest's knights. Sharp-edged stems were pointed at her, acting as the arrows, while the petals formed themselves as both the bows and archers, ready to strike anytime.

Andrantiel could feel her heart racing faster.

* * *

**Author's note:**

After five (five? Are you kidding me?) months of hiatus, this new chapter is only possible to be published by the generous help of **Miss Pookamonga ** (She agreed to beta-read 'Entangled' and endure the torment of my bad grammar, so here I salute and thank her!).

And after five whole months, I wonder how many of you still remain there, reading this chapter. Well, I just hope that this chapter is still on par with the previous chapters. I still work on it with the same intensity, trust me, and I won't let Andrantiel's story just hanging there.

On the other hand, whoa, it's my longest chapter to date, do you know? Originally it was just a half of this, but the scene of the confrontation somehow stretched out and out, leaving me with a terribly long chapter. I hope the action has been improved this time around, though to tell you the truth I don't feel very strong about this. I'm not exactly an action writer, you know… laughs

Last but not least, I just hope you can enjoy this chapter, and are willing to drop me something. winks Click that review button just below!


	19. The Herbs of Mistari

**Quick author's note:**  
Are you surprised that I finally update (after all these years? LoL)? Well, don't be, 'coz I'm working on 'Entangled' again. I looked at the C.S.Lewis page and didn't recognize any of the writers' names or titles. That's how much I've been out of the loop!

Yeah, well, I just hope that this chapter can still be enjoyed and the excitement hasn't entirely evaporated! If there is any old reader that read this, I just want to tell you, I'm so sorry once more for the hiatus, but there won't be more after this, I promise. The final two chapters are being drafted as I write this. It's sad, but there are only a few chapters left.

Well, I won't hold you back from the story much longer! Here it is…

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Nineteen: The Herbs of Mistari**

Andrantiel could feel her heart racing faster.

She could use sudden movement to take down a few petals knights, but the element of surprise was in any way a lose strategy. There were simply too many knights for her to handle at the same time. The Princess could feel blood rushing to her brain, along with the adrenaline.

It was a useless battle, she knew it, but she couldn't let herself go that far only to give up.

Andrantiel clenched her jaws, tightening her grasp on her sword.

_It is now or never._

She had already dashed forward to strike, hearing the ting of the leashed stems arrow, when another sound overlapped the previous one.

The roar.

It was so deafening, incredibly fierce and loud. It was accompanied by some bright light that dashed past her, stunning her in place. When it was all finally over, she could sense and hear the forest retreat back to its silence treatment, with what could be heard in the darkness was only the sound of fallen leaves.

Instead of bringing the eerie feeling, however, the passing wind was carrying serenity in its whispers, unlike before, making the woods simply feel like a sanctuary.

Andrantiel found herself still standing, surrounded by the lifeless spread of stems and petals on the ground, with an extremely large lion standing in front of her.

She caught herself gaping in awe. There was no doubt how huge the lion was, how his mane was thick and gold in color as if it was shining in the dark, and also how she could see the depth in the lion's eyes. There was absolutely no doubt, whatsoever, that he was-

"Aslan?" she asked softly, blurting the name that she had been longing to say for so long.

The great beast in front of her looked back at her, and his voice boomed and paced steadily. "I see that you have found what you are looking for."

Andrantiel looked downward to see the sparkle of silver greeting her from various directions.

But she was surprised to hear the Mighty Lion chuckle. "That's not what I entirely meant, (Andrantiel looked up) Princess Andrantiel of Celestine, descendant of the Wanderers."

_Pardon?_

"I can see the blood of my noble adventurers rushing in yours, my child, for you are their true heir. Yet have you forgotten that the Wanderers were brave not only in the terms of battles and adventurers, but also in defending what they believed in?"

"Aslan, I-"

Her sentence was stopped by the noise behind. The Princess, distracted, turned to watch Peter bursting through the bushes towards her, completely out of breath.

"Andra, thank heavens you are okay!" Andrantiel noticed how much he was trembling, desperate to catch his breath. "The trees just stopped attacking, I thought-"

Andrantiel smiled. "I'm okay," she said, placing her hands on his, reassuring him. She noted that Aslan was nowhere in sight. "Aslan-"

She stopped mid-sentence.

"Peter?" blurted Andrantiel out. "Your hands-

"They're so cold!"

He said nothing, just withdrawing his hands and putting his sword in its sheath. "I'm fine."

In the instant moment that the King turned, avoiding her stare, and the realization dawned on her. "You were also wounded."

It wasn't a question. It was an accusation that she knew should be true.

Peter took a pause, looking as if he was weighing his answer, before finally replying, "Just a scratch."

"This, is the Herbs of Healing?" he asked, kneeling down to inspect them.

Andrantiel answered with a 'yes' absent-mindedly, but with a tone that suggested anything but certainty, because suddenly, there was like a big lump in her throat.

It was at that time that the knights also burst through the bushes where Peter had just come from, reminding her of the thing she should do.

The knights were still standing, but that didn't mean that they were without scratches and bleeding. To be truthful, none of them (Andrantiel and Peter included) were in his or her previous neat and clean condition; all of their clothes were ragged and dirty, not only from the dirt, but for some, also from the blood. Apparently one of the knights nearly missed his escape from the attack of the arrows, and his blood that trickled down from one of his thighs instantly brought back Andrantiel's memory of the scene at the Cair Paravel.

The Princess trembled slightly as she knelt, pulling the herbs' roots gently from a forty-five degree angle not to damage them. Peter and the others followed her to do the same.

They had pulled quite a lot of the herbs in silence before Peter broke it.

"What actually happened?" he asked, putting the herbs in his other hand while the other did the pulling. "Was it Aslan's doing?"

"Yes," Andrantiel replied. "It was all Aslan's, but he was gone the moment after."

The Princess was shocked to hear Peter actually let out a chuckle, because she was sure that she wanted to shout at him to make him see the gravity of the situation. _His_ situation, even, but the High King merely said, with a touch of affection yet admiration in his voice, "That is very Aslan-like."

Andrantiel just remembered to turn and shoot him a look.

"Peter…"

The blurting of annoyance came from nowhere, startling even herself. She couldn't believe what she had just said. What she had just done. She knew that it wasn't her place to be mad at him.

_Who do I think I am?_

Andrantiel forced herself to pluck some more herbs in silence, keeping her head down. She could feel Peter's penetrating gaze at her, burning her from within, but she was more than reluctant to return it.

It was after a while that she could feel someone touching her arm gently.

She looked up, seeing Peter staring at her without the slightest bit of annoyance, but with something else that was least expected by her in his eyes.

It was one that said 'don't worry', sending warmness and reassurance through her entire body.

Andrantiel felt nothing but to be tongue-tied.


	20. The Return

**Quick author's note:**

Thank you for the reviews! I'm really happy to see some familiar names (brezzybrez, Hope and love, Duchess192), thank you for sticking with me! And, of course, Pooka, you're the best! I love you all, really do. )

I am now pleased to present you with the twentieth chapter! Enjoy!

**ENTANGLED**

**Chapter Twenty: The Return**

It was only after all of them had stepped out of the woods, their hands full of the herbs, that Andrantiel realized how stupid she felt.

Se was filling her pouches with the herbs and swinging them on either side of her horse with the herbs when it struck. _He's the one who's wounded_, Andrantiel scolded herself as Ronan and Rafael reached out their hands to take care of most of the herbs she was holding. _And he's also the one who comforts you?_

_You're unbelievable._

Ronan moved to take the last herbs from the Princess' hand, but-

Andrantiel grabbed away what was left. Turning to the High King of Narnia, she said, "Peter, may I possibly have a moment?"

She gestured towards a place behind the trees, not that far away but mostly covered from the knights' eyes. Peter frowned upon this, but he agreed all the same.

Andrantiel held the thing that she wanted to say until they had reached the concealed spot.

"Where were you wounded?" she asked boldly, to get straight to her point.

Peter directed his stare from Andrantiel to the herbs she held in her hands, and then returned it to the Princess in silence before speaking his understanding of her intention.

But also his refusal, in that matter.

"I'll manage-"

"No," Andrantiel cut him off, her hand starting to crush some of the herbs. "You don't know that." She pressed some more of her stubbornness into her voice; she was simply trying hard not to falter. "I insist."

And perhaps it was because the young King somehow saw and noted that she wouldn't move until he gave in, that he finally did.

There was no telling whether the emergency essence of the herbs that she applied at Peter's wound was enough to counter its infection. She could tell that he had lost quite a lot of blood, if his soaked-with-blood bandage was anything to judge by. Mistari, however, worked best if it was mashed and then its essence taken properly, mixed with some boiling water. However, under the circumstances, just some crushed ones would do the trick.

Hopefully.

Andrantiel couldn't help but let her worries show across her face upon witnessing Peter mounting Dusk. His wound did, she noticed, look rather severe and deep.

It was when the Princess also had climbed onto her own horse that Dusk whispered to her ears in a deep and wise-sounding voice, "Do not worry, My Lady. I will not let him fall."

Hearing this, Andrantiel had no doubt, but her feeling just couldn't be shaken off all together.

The journey back to Narnia felt like nothing like the previous one.

It was true that at that time, everybody had been on the edge. Their minds had been filled with so many things of which none was near to an assurance: what they would encounter at the woods, whether they would find the herbs, what would happen afterward-

But during the journey back, all the riders' minds were filled with the ultimate question.

Whether they could make it back to Narnia in time.

Andrantiel couldn't help but steal so many glances at the High King. He, like everybody else, had been riding his horse more slowly, but while the knights' horses were weighed down by the herbs-

_But Peter still looks fine_, Andrantiel thought, trying not to worry. _Not excellent, but at least fine_.

The High King still managed to look steady on top of his horse, turning to face her when they had drawn much closer to Narnia. The sight of Cair Paravel – no matter how small it looked in the distance – indeed brought out hope and reassurance within her.

However, when they finally reached the palace, there was only one translation for the Narnian knights rushing simultaneously towards their king, blocking her sight of the King himself and also anything beside their own uniforms:

His fever had taken over.

Soon enough, Andrantiel noticed that a large hand of a Minotaur appeared to be holding up the King. Hermeus had arrived in a flash. "Bring His Highness to his chamber, quick!" he boomed.

Then, in no wasted time, the General of Narnia stared at Andrantiel with an inexplicable look on his face.

He bowed, making his formal greeting. "Your Highness."

It just took her a moment to figure out why the General's expression was there in the first place. Behind him, a few feet in the distance, stood the familiar faces she had known for all those years.

Celestine's finest knights.

Apparently, her father, the King of Celestine, had sent his most trusted people to bring her home.

And by the expressions of the knights' faces, by force if necessary.

Andrantiel held her breath.


	21. Waiting for the Anvil to Fall

**ENTANGLED**

**Previously, on Entangled:**

Princess Andrantiel, from a small kingdom named Celestine, came to Narnia to ask for help against the war threat of the Tarkaans. Peter answered the call, but the decision brought Narnia ill fate. Somehow, the broken piece of the White Witch's blade found its way to the hands of the Tarkaans, fusing itself among the blades used in the battle. As a result of this, the wound caused by the blades couldn't be healed, and Narnia fell into the darkness.

Knowing the horror she had caused, Andrantiel decided to break her ancestors' deepest secrets to save Narnia. The existence of the Herbs of Mistari, a legendary herb that was rumored to be able to heal anything, had not been proved, but Andrantiel convinced Peter that they could find it in the heart of the Unnamed Woods. Led by an ancient manuscript, it was easy to find the unidentified forest, but to conquer it was a different matter.

In the woods, Andrantiel, Peter, and four of their knights were ambushed by the forest's army. The whole forest was alive by itself, turning against them, so it seemed that there was no way they could win if not for Aslan, who appeared out of nowhere and restored the peace of the woods. After the mayhem, the Herbs of Mistari was waiting for them, spreading all over the heart of the forest. It brought out hope, but one that was short-lived, because then Andrantiel realized that Peter had also been wounded by the wicked blade.

Andrantiel forced Peter to get first aid on his wounds by crushing the herbs, but without proper handling it wasn't quite as efficient.

Upon their arrival in Narnia, the wounds finally took its toll on the High King. However, Andrantiel's problem didn't stop there, because apart from the whole Narnians, Celestine's finest knights were also greeting them, leaving Andrantiel wondering whether she could escape from her father this time around.

**Chapter Twenty One: Waiting for the Anvil to Fall**

Andrantiel almost couldn't conceal her astonishment. She knew that convincing Lord Alfgard of Celestine, her father's most trusted knight, that she was needed in Narnia – that all of them Celestines were, actually – in Narnia was a hard task. He did, at the very least, share the same principles and sulky expression as the King of Celestine.

However, being a daughter of the King also gave Andrantiel the advantage of a lifetime experience on how to handle the knight, who was, after all, still relatively less complicated than her father.

But none of the things above could prevent her from being caught off guard by what the Lord actually said right after she approached him and his fellow knights, who all bore the most grave expression she had ever encountered.

"_Greetings, My Lady," Lord Alfgard had said. "Your King and Queen of Celestine wished me to express their disapproval upon the Princess' doing a few nights ago, which they see as some rash action."_

_Andrantiel remembered, and her jaw tightened upon hearing so. _

"_And what was it they wished me to do?" she replied with the coldest tone she could muster._

_Lord Alfgard looked slightly alarmed._

"_They would very much had preferred it if you had taken some more aid with you."_

_Andrantiel remembered just standing there, stunned, until she finally noticed another group of Celestines among the knights she had limited her sight upon: their finest potion makers._

Now, a few days later, she still couldn't restrain her lips from forming some smiles whenever she recalled the scene. It was, after all, an extraordinarily rare event for her father to actually come around.

She felt she could give the old man of hers some tight hugs which she hadn't done since she stopped being called 'little princess'.

Andrantiel turned to the regal corridor where the chambers of kings were, feeling slightly uneasy. She hadn't set her feet there ever since their return from the Unnamed Woods, and if Andrantiel would ever dare to admit it, she actually did her best to stay away. She had sent her best healers to aid the two kings these last few days while she got busy – _pretended_ to be busy – helping Susan and Lucy attend to everybody else.

Originally, she planned to keep on doing it, until one of her eldest and most trusted healers – whom she respected deeply – pointed out that it wasn't the best way to proceed.

Andrantiel sighed. _Nothing good can come out of this_, she thought, playing with some loose bandage she had in the basket she was holding. _And it isn't like Peter still needs the Mistari. _She wondered why she still carried the full healing equipment with her, because after a few days of Mistari treatment, the wounds that were caused by the enchanted blade had sealed, and the main objective of the healers these days was only to restore the spirits of the previously wounded knights.

But she couldn't avoid Peter forever. Sooner or later she had to give him her side of the story, and Andrantiel hated the fact that she acknowledged this.

_How clever are those p__eople who say that ignorance is bliss._

To her surprise, her anxieties were forgotten for a while as she strode into the room.

She had imagined the chamber of the High King to be many things, but she was left in awe nevertheless. It was majestic, of course, but only came across so when she had consciously pondered about it in her head.

The word that first sprung up to describe the chamber was "peaceful".

It was dominated by earthen colors: brown, hazel, and ivory. Nothing stood out, neither the wooden furniture had been exquisitely carved by Narnia's best carpenters, Andrantiel was sure, nor the touch of gold on the rims of the paintings inside the room. It was all blended together, and viewing the chamber as a whole, it reminded her slightly of Narnian forests. The smell was something else, but the feeling of serenity couldn't possibly be mistaken.

The lighting also supported this look, as the lamps were mostly dim except for some few. One lamp highlighted a particular area of the room that Andrantiel guessed to be where Peter had been reviewing some parchment or doing his reading. Many huge pillows were placed on top of one another on one spot, with many papers full of writings and diagrams scattered all around them, leaving a hole in the middle, presumably for Peter to sit on.

There was only one other lamp that also burnt strongly, and it was the lamp that was placed on the bedside table. Andrantiel let out another sigh of relief when she saw that the bed – a large, canopied one – was empty. The sheet was left jumbled with an opened book on top of it.

Andrantiel was really looking forward to the prospect of prolonging her 'cat-and-mouse' game with Peter when someone burst her bubble out of the blue.

It was the faun who served as the guard of the chamber. He bowed to Andrantiel. "Your Majesty is waiting at the balcony, Milady."

The Princess scolded the completely innocent faun in her mind. How dared he bring her crashing back to reality?

More than reluctant, she stepped onto the terrace. And there Peter was, standing with his back to her with the endless view of Narnia spread out in front of him.

"Peter," she called softly.

The King turned, beckoning her to join him. Andrantiel did and followed his gaze downward.

Far away below them was the recovering Narnia. Centaurs were back into their training, banging their swords into each other. The bears carried some wood logs with some beavers who tackled the branches, and they were talking animatedly. The rats were too small to be seen from so high above, but Andrantiel knew that it was they who were flocking around two dryads. A group of knights stood behind them; one put his elbow on another's shoulder while the other was laughing.

Everybody seemed to be having a great time, and Andrantiel couldn't help but smile. Who wouldn't, when the sun had risen again and it was so beautiful outside?

"I don't know where I should begin to express my gratitude."

If only she could bask in the gratitude that Peter showed without the debt of explanation-

But Peter was no fool. He was never a fool.

Andrantiel stood as stiff as steel, waiting for the anvil to fall.

"But to whom?" Peter paused only for a second. "Andra," Andrantiel flinched at the emphasis of her name, "Is it really _you _that the Tarkaan lord wants? Princess Andrantiel of the small kingdom Celestine, or _something_ else entirely?"

* * *

**Author's note:**

Hey all, I'm still here. Still alive, LoL.

As of right now, I'm feeling bad because I've been lagging this story for such a long time (Dec 05)! It's not my intention! My original plan was to finish this long before the arrival of 'Prince Caspian', but what can I say? Some things can't always go your way.

However, I am aware that by publishing the very first chapter of this fic, it is only right that I finish it. So here I am (despite the 'hell week' I'm gonna have - wish me luck!!) Expect the final two chapters in a few weeks!

Thank you all for reading! And thank you again to Miss Pookamonga, you're such an awesome beta reader!


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